Ajin USA worker crushed to death by robotic arm

A worker was killed when a robot she had been trying to fix at auto parts manufacturer Ajin USA unexpectedly restarted and crushed her. Regina Allen Elsea had entered a robotic station ('cell') contain ing several robots to clear a sensor fault on a piece of machinery that had stopped working during an assembly line stoppage. When inside the cell, one of the robots energised and she was struck by a robotic arm which pinned her against a piece of machinery. In November 2020, Ajin USA was ordered to pay USD 1.5 million after admitting violating federal safety standards before Elsea was crushed to death. It was also required to complete three years of probation during which it had to comply with a safety compliance plan overseen by a third-party auditor. Ajin pleaded guilty to knowingly failing to enforce federal safety standards, including the mandatory use of so-called lockout/tagout procedures to prevent the type of incident that killed Elsea. T wo weeks before Elsea's death, the US Labor Department fined Ajin USA and two staffing agencies USD 2.5 million for 27 safety violations. System 🤖 Unknown Operator: Ajin USA Developer: Country: U SA Sector: Automotive; Manufacturing/engineering Purpose: Assemble cars Technology: Robotics Issue: Accountability; Saf ety Legal, regulatory 👩🏼‍⚖️ USA v Joon LLC/Ajin USA (2020). Plea Agreement US Department of Justice (2020). Auto-Parts Manufacturing Company Sentenced in Worker Death Case US Department of Labor (2016). Alabama Auto Parts Supplier to Kia and Hyundai, Staffing Agencies Face USD 2.5 million in Fines After Robot Crushes Young Bride-to-Be

Date it happened

2016-06-01

Organisation involved

Ajin USA

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