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

CSET 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

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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