Robot Mistakes Person for Box... 40s Worker Dies in Crushing Accident

Robot sensor checked, robot gripper applies pressure
Approximately 95% of robot injuries occur in manufacturing industry

A robot at an agricultural product sorting center in Goseong, Gyeongnam, mistakenly identified a person as a box and crushed them. This accident resulted in the death of a robot company employee.

According to the Goseong Police Station in Gyeongnam on the 8th, around 7:45 PM on the 7th, Mr. A, a man in his 40s and an employee of the robot company, was crushed by the robot’s gripper while checking whether the robot sensor was functioning at a paprika sorting center in Goseong-gun. Mr. A’s face and chest were compressed in the accident, and although he was transported to a hospital for treatment, he ultimately passed away.

The robot in question is responsible for lifting paprika boxes and moving them onto pallets. At the time of the accident, Mr. A was inspecting whether the robot was operating properly. The police believe that during this process, the robot sensor recognized Mr. A as a box and lifted him with the gripper, causing the crushing accident.

A police official stated, "We will investigate the exact circumstances of the accident by questioning the on-site safety management personnel and will also verify whether there was any negligence in the course of work."

From 2011 to 2020, a total of 355 industrial robot-related injuries occurred

According to domestic industrial accident statistics, a total of 355 casualties occurred due to industrial robots from 2011 to 2020. Among them, 29 people were reported dead. More than 95% of the casualties caused by industrial robots occurred in the manufacturing industry, with automotive parts manufacturing (39%) and automobile manufacturing (9%) being the most frequent sectors for accidents. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article.
[Photo by Pixabay]

This is not the first fatality caused by robots. In June, in Jangseong, Jeonnam, a female worker B who was cleaning the workplace was struck and killed by a robotic arm used in the factory.

It is known that Ms. B was cleaning industrial robot equipment for work that morning when a colleague accidentally operated the machine, leading to this tragic accident.

Earlier in May, in a car parts factory located in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, a man in his 50s, Mr. C, was caught between a welding robot and a jig (an auxiliary device used to correct the position of parts during processing), resulting in an accident.

According to domestic industrial accident statistics, from 2011 to 2020, a total of 355 injuries related to industrial robots occurred. Among them, 29 people died. More than 95% of the injuries caused by industrial robots occurred in manufacturing, with automotive parts manufacturing (39%) and automobile manufacturing (9%) being the most frequent sectors for such accidents.

Analyzing by type of occurrence, the most common form of injury caused by industrial robots was being caught or pinched (187 cases, 53%), followed by collisions (121 cases, 34%).