Tesla operates its Giga Texas manufacturing plant near Austin’s international airport. The massive plant spans over 10 million square feet of Central Texas, rolling out Model Ys and Cybertrucks. However, the factory is back in the headlines again following the August workplace death of an electrician. Most recently, OSHA issued nearly $50,000 in fines to Tesla, citing “serious” safety concerns. 

OSHA fined Tesla nearly $50,000 with three citations following the workplace death of a Giga Texas employee 

In August of 2024, Victor Joe Gomez Sr. was inspecting panels at Tesla’s sprawling Giga Texas manufacturing plant when he suffered an electrocution. Tragically, Gomez passed away after the shock, prompting an investigation into how such a safety oversight could happen. Since then, regulators have cited Tesla for the incident. Now, however, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued three citations regarding the untimely workplace death. 

According to Austin-based KUT News, OSHA’s “serious” citations were $16,550 each, totaling $49,650 in fines. U.S. Representative Greg Casar, a Texas democrat, asserted that the government must share more details about the investigation into Gomez’s workplace death. As a result, OSHA released new details about the tragedy.

“An employee was working in close proximity to energized parts without wearing appropriate personal protective equipment,” the OSHA citations read. Troublingly, the OSHA citations also indicated that Giga Texas wasn’t as safe as it could have been for some employees. “Quality control employees were exposed to electrical hazards while performing tests and inspections on newly installed electrical equipment without prior hazard analysis, warning signs, and communication of safe work procedures.”

This isn’t the first time

An OSHA spokesperson responded to an email requesting information about Tesla’s position in the case. According to the spokesperson, “the employer has contested the violations in this case.”

It’s not the first time Giga Texas landed federal citations for safety concerns. Last year, the U.S. Department of Labor fined Tesla $13,000 for two safety citations. However, after the smoke cleared, the total amount dropped to $6,913. Like the most recent case, Tesla’s lawyer in a negligence lawsuit regarding last-year’s citations didn’t respond to requests for comment.

However, Casar, who has been critical of Elon Musk in the past, says this is just the beginning. “I will continue to fight for transparency and accountability for workers in my district, because an electrician’s death should not be treated any differently because the CEO he died working for happens to be rich and powerful,” Casar remarked.