A new report from Reveal looked at safety issues in Tesla’s electric car factory in Fremont. It accused the company of under-reporting workplace injuries, under-training employees on workplace safety and removing safety signs. The report also claimed that warnings from workers about safety issues were frequently ignored by management.
The bizarre reason that the report cites for the removal of safety signs and markings is because many of them were yellow, and Tesla owner Elon Musk does not like the colour yellow. The report says that he asked for all yellow items to be removed from the factory.
Tesla responded to the report calling it "a completely false picture of Tesla and what it is actually like to work here." The company denied that it avoided the colour yellow and that the Reveal organisation is ideologically motivated and working with unions on a disinformation campaign.
Tesla admitted that there were issues, but that the company was dedicated to improving safety to the point where it will become the safest factory in the world. There are around 37,000 people who work for Tesla and the company says that it cares deeply for the well-being of each employee.
UK factories must comply with safety regulations concerning the display of safety signs. These can warn of hazards and guide people to fire exits if a building needs to be quickly evacuated in the event of an emergency. Though inexpensive, safety signs can literally save lives.
