Incident 2: Warehouse robot ruptures can of bear spray and injures workers

Description: Twenty-four Amazon workers in New Jersey were hospitalized after a robot punctured a can of bear repellent spray in a warehouse.

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Alleged: Amazon developed and deployed an AI system, which harmed Warehouse Workers.

Incident Stats

Incident ID
2
Report Count
17
Incident Date
2018-12-05
Editors
Sean McGregor

CSETv0 Taxonomy Classifications

Taxonomy Details

Full Description

On December 5, 2018, a robot punctured a can of bear spray in Amazon's fulfillment center in Robbinsville, New Jersey. Amazon's spokesman stated that "an automated machine punctured a 9-oz can of bear repellent." The punctured can released capsaicin, an irritant, into the air. Several dozen workers were exposed to the fumes, causing symptoms including trouble breathing and a burning sensation in the eyes and throat. 24 workers were hospitalized, and one was sent to intensive care and intubated.

Short Description

Twenty-four Amazon workers in New Jersey were hospitalized after a robot punctured a can of bear repellent spray in a warehouse.

Severity

Moderate

Harm Type

Harm to physical health/safety, Harm to physical property

AI System Description

An automated machine operating within an Amazon fulfillment center.

Sector of Deployment

Transportation and storage

Relevant AI functions

Unclear

AI Applications

robotics

Location

Robbinsville, New Jersey, United States of America

Named Entities

Amazon

Technology Purveyor

Amazon

Beginning Date

2018-12-05T00:00:00.000Z

Ending Date

2018-12-05T00:00:00.000Z

Near Miss

Harm caused

Intent

Accident

Lives Lost

No

Laws Implicated

Workplace safety laws, OSHA regulations

CSETv1 Taxonomy Classifications

Taxonomy Details

Harm Distribution Basis

none

Sector of Deployment

wholesale and retail trade

1 critical, 54 Amazon workers treated after bear repellent discharge in N.J. warehouse
nj.com · 2018

UPDATE: OSHA investigates Amazon warehouse bear spray accident that left worker critical

A worker at an Amazon warehouse in New Jersey was in critical condition and another 54 required treatment after being exposed to bear repellent that di…

Robot Punctures Bear Spray Can, More Than 50 People Sickened at New Jersey Amazon Warehouse, Town Says
nbcphiladelphia.com · 2018

More than four dozen workers became sick Wednesday morning after a can of bear repellent was punctured by an automated machine. The Amazon warehouse in Robbinsville, New Jersey immediately evacuated everyone out of the affected areas.

What …

24 Amazon workers sent to hospital after robot accidentally unleashes bear spray
abcnews.go.com · 2018

Twenty-four Amazon workers in New Jersey have been hospitalized after a robot accidentally tore a can of bear repellent spray in a warehouse, officials said.

The two dozen workers were treated at five local hospitals, Robbinsville Township …

Robot's bear spray accident puts 24 Amazon workers in hospital
msn.com · 2018

The Amazon fulfilment center in Robbinsville, New Jersey. Twenty-four employees at an Amazon warehouse in New Jersey were hospitalised after a robot accidentally set off a can of bear repellent.

A 255g can of repellent containing concentrat…

Bear spray incident at NJ Amazon warehouse shines light on safety record
app.com · 2018

CLOSE At least 17 employees were sent to the hospital after a can of bear repellent fell off a shelf at an Amazon facility in Robbinsville. North Jersey Record

In this 2017 photo, an Amazon employee makes sure a box riding on a belt is not …

Dozens of Amazon employees taken to hospital after robot unleashes bear spray
independent.co.uk · 2018

Dozens of Amazon workers have been taken to hospital after a robot tore a can of bear repellent spray, discharging fumes inside a warehouse.

Employees at Amazon’s Robbinsville Township warehouse reported trouble breathing and burning sensat…

24 Amazon Workers Hospitalized After Robot Punctures Bear Spray In Warehouse
motherboard.vice.com · 2018

Twenty-four workers in an Amazon warehouse in New Jersey were hospitalized on Wednesday morning after a robot punctured a can of bear spray.

One worker was in critical condition, ABC News reported, and 30 more were sickened and treated on t…

Amazon warehouse NJ accident shines light on company's safety record
usatoday.com · 2018

CLOSE At least 17 employees were sent to the hospital after a can of bear repellent fell off a shelf at an Amazon facility in Robbinsville. North Jersey Record

In this 2017 photo, an Amazon employee makes sure a box riding on a belt is not …

Amazon Warehouse Bear Spray Accident Injures Dozens, One Critically
popularmechanics.com · 2018

Over 50 Amazon warehouse employees were sickened on Wednesday as an automated machine punctured a can of bear repellant. The accident has resulted in 24 employees being hospitalized, with one worker in such poor condition that they've been …

Amazon warehouse bear spray incident leaves workers sickened in Robbinsville, N.J.
washingtonpost.com · 2018

Amazon boxes are stacked for delivery in Manhattan. (Mike Segar/Reuters)

Dozens of employees at a sprawling Amazon.com warehouse in New Jersey have been sickened after an aerosol can containing bear repellent was punctured, dispersing fumes…

Amazon robot sets off bear repellant, putting 24 workers in hospital
theguardian.com · 2018

Accident in New Jersey puts new focus on retailer’s warehouse working conditions

This article is more than 4 months old

This article is more than 4 months old

Twenty-four employees at an Amazon warehouse in New Jersey were taken to hospital…

Amazon Has a History of Bear Repellent Accidents
wired.com · 2018

Two dozen Amazon warehouse employees in New Jersey were hospitalized Wednesday, one in critical condition, after a robot punctured a can of bear repellent, according to local reports. The news was soon picked up by national outlets and spre…

Amazon workers injured in bear spray accident
bbc.com · 2018

Twenty-four Amazon workers have been hospitalised after a bear spray can was punctured at a warehouse in New Jersey in the US on Wednesday.

One of those hospitalised is in a critical condition. Another 30 people were treated by emergency se…

Amazon bear spray accident attributed to robot error
tennessean.com · 2018

CLOSE Authorities said 24 workers at an Amazon warehouse in New Jersey were taken to the hospital after a can of bear repellent was punctured and released fumes Wednesday. At least one of the workers was in critical condition. (Dec. 5) AP

E…

Amazon bear repellent accident this week wasn’t its first
foxbusiness.com · 2018

An accident involving bear repellent at an Amazon warehouse on Wednesday that left more than two dozen hospitalized in New Jersey made national headlines -- but according to a report from Wired, that wasn’t the company’s first mishap involv…

OSHA investigates Amazon warehouse bear spray accident that left worker critical
nj.com · 2018

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating an accident involving a punctured bear repellent container at a New Jersey Amazon warehouse Wednesday that left one worker in critical condition and another 24 emplo…

Amazon bear repellent accident sends 24 workers to the hospital
digitaljournal.com · 2018

On Wednesday this week 24 Amazon warehouse workers in Robbinsville New Jersey were hospitalized after a robot punctured a can of repellent according to local news reports. One employee is said to be in critical condition. The accident In al…

Variants

A "variant" is an incident that shares the same causative factors, produces similar harms, and involves the same intelligent systems as a known AI incident. Rather than index variants as entirely separate incidents, we list variations of incidents under the first similar incident submitted to the database. Unlike other submission types to the incident database, variants are not required to have reporting in evidence external to the Incident Database. Learn more from the research paper.

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