By Peter Eisler, Rachael Levy, and Marisa TaylorWASHINGTON (Reuters) – Tesla has been cited by federal regulators for breaching workplace safety regulations following the tragic death of a worker at its auto-manufacturing plant in Austin, Texas, last summer. The U.S. Department of Labor confirmed these findings in a statement provided to Reuters, revealing that the investigation has been completed and citations have been issued by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which falls under the oversight of the Labor Department. The matter was officially closed in late January, with details regarding the specific workplace-safety violations by Tesla and any accompanying penalties not being disclosed by the department.
This case has garnered significant attention amid a wider discussion surrounding the regulatory supervision of Tesla and other enterprises under the leadership of billionaire Elon Musk, who is driving a substantial reformation of federal agencies on behalf of U.S. President Donald Trump. Musk, a supporter of Trump’s presidency, has been appointed to lead the newly established Department of Government Efficiency, aiming to reduce federal expenditures and workforce. Musk’s various businesses, including Tesla and SpaceX, heavily rely on government contracts, subsidies, and regulations.
The investigation by OSHA was initiated promptly after the tragic death of Victor Gomez Sr., an electrician employed as a contractor at the Tesla plant in Texas on August 1. Records from OSHA and a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Gomez’s family against Tesla suggest that Gomez was electrocuted while inspecting electrical panels at the site. The lawsuit alleges negligence on Tesla’s part, claiming that the panel, supposed to be inactive, was powered up, leading to Gomez’s unfortunate demise.
Both Musk and Tesla have refrained from providing any comment, and Reuters has not been able to obtain court documents filed by Tesla in response to the lawsuit. In a separate development, U.S. Representative Greg Casar, a Democrat from Texas representing the congressional district where the Tesla plant is located, wrote a letter to the Labor Department urging OSHA to release the full findings of its investigation into Gomez’s death. The letter contends that any failure to disclose public records concerning Tesla’s workplace safety lapses could raise suspicions of preferential treatment being given to Musk by the regulatory agency.
The Tesla plant in Austin, Texas, spanning over 10 million square feet, serves as a pivotal manufacturing center for producing Tesla’s Model Y vehicles and Cybertrucks. OSHA records indicate that Tesla faced a fine of around $7,000 for two separate workplace safety violations at the Texas plant in the previous year, both related to breaches of regulations safeguarding workers against chemical hazards. Additionally, in 2022, Tesla confronted allegations of workplace safety and wage law infringements by subcontractors during the facility’s construction.
(Additional reporting by Alexandra Ulmer in San Francisco and Ned Parker in New York. Editing by Brian Thevenot and Jason Szep.)
