A technician was killed at a Volkswagen assembly plant in Germany after a robot he was assembling picked him up and pushed him into a metal plate.
- Date of incident
- 2015-06-29
- Location
- Germany
- Sources
- 21
Established by press reporting. No regulator or court document is linked to this case yet.
How the event developed
- 2015-07-01Report
A robotic system at a Volkswagen plant in Baunatal, Germany grabbed a contractor and pressed him against a metal plate, crushing his chest; he was resuscitated but died shortly afterward at a hospital.
nbcnews.com - 2015-08-13Follow-up
A 24-year-old worker named Ramji a person was killed at SKH Metals factory in Manesar, India, when a pre-programmed welding robot stabbed him in the abdomen with its welding arms as he reached behind the machine to adjust a dislodged metal sheet.
independent.co.uk
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- vanityfair.comA technician was killed at a Volkswagen assembly plant in Germany after a robot he was assembling picked him up and pushed him into a metal plate.2015-07-01copy 2026-10-12tier 2
- nbcnews.comA robotic system at a Volkswagen plant in Baunatal, Germany grabbed a contractor and pressed him against a metal plate, crushing his chest; he was resuscitated but died shortly afterward at a hospital.2015-07-01copy 2026-10-15tier 1
- fortune.comA technician died after being struck in the chest by a robot and pressed against a metal plate while installing the robot inside its safety cage at a Volkswagen plant near Kassel, Germany.2015-07-01copy 2026-10-15tier 2
- telegraph.co.ukA 22-year-old contractor was fatally crushed against a metal plate by a robotic arm while his team was setting up automated machinery at a Volkswagen production plant in Kassel, Germany.2015-07-02copy 2026-10-28tier 2
- bbc.comA 22-year-old contractor was grabbed and crushed against a metal plate by an industrial robot at a Volkswagen plant in Baunatal, Germany, and later died in hospital.2015-07-02copy 2026-10-14tier 1
- cbc.caA stationary robot at a Volkswagen production plant in Baunatal, Germany grabbed and crushed a 22-year-old contractor against a metal plate, killing him.2015-07-02copy 2026-10-13tier 2
- cnn.comA 21-year-old contractor was killed at a Volkswagen assembly plant in Baunatal, Germany, when a robot he was installing gripped and pressed him against a metal plate, crushing his chest.2015-07-02copy 2026-10-13tier 2
- theweek.comA 22-year-old external contractor was grabbed and crushed against a metal plate by a robot he was installing at a Volkswagen manufacturing plant in Baunatal, Germany, and later died in hospital.2015-07-02copy 2026-10-13tier 2
- standard.co.ukA 21-year-old contractor was struck in the chest and crushed against a metal plate by a robot while installing machinery at a Volkswagen plant near Kassel, Germany, and later died in hospital.2015-07-02copy 2026-10-13tier 2
- abc7chicago.comA Financial Times journalist's tweet about a robot killing a worker at a German Volkswagen plant went viral due to her name's similarity to the Terminator protagonist Sarah Connor.2015-07-02copy 2026-10-13tier 2
- itv.comA 22-year-old contractor was grabbed and crushed against a metal plate by a stationary robot while setting it up at a Volkswagen production plant in Baunatal, Germany, and later died in hospital.2015-07-02copy 2026-10-14tier 2
- themanufacturer.comA 21-year-old outside contractor was fatally struck and pressed against a metal slab by an assembly line robot while installing it inside its caged production area at Volkswagen's Meissen factory in Germany.2015-07-02copy 2026-10-13tier 2
- mirror.co.ukA robot crushed a factory worker to death at a Volkswagen plant2015-07-02copy 2026-10-13tier 2
- paultan.orgA robot killed a worker at a Volkswagen factory in Germany.2015-07-02copy 2026-10-14tier 2
- wired.comA robot arm killed a worker at a Volkswagen manufacturing plant in Germany2015-07-02copy 2026-10-14tier 2
- indianexpress.comRobot crushes man against metal plate at Volkswagen production plant in Frankfurt, Germany2015-07-02copy 2026-10-14tier 2
- nzherald.co.nzA 22-year-old contract worker installing a production line at a Volkswagen plant in Baunatal, Germany, was grabbed and crushed against a large metal plate by a robotic arm, dying from his injuries in hospital.2015-07-03copy 2026-10-14tier 2
- hindustantimes.comA 23-year-old contract worker named Ramji Lal was crushed to death by the arm of an industrial robot at SKH Metals factory in Manesar after he came close to the robotic arm while adjusting a metal sheet.2015-08-13copy 2026-10-13tier 2
- independent.co.ukA 24-year-old worker named Ramji Lal was killed at SKH Metals factory in Manesar, India, when a pre-programmed welding robot stabbed him in the abdomen with its welding arms as he reached behind the machine to adjust a dislodged metal sheet.2015-08-13copy 2026-10-14tier 2
- firstpost.comA 24-year-old worker, Ramji Lal, was killed at SKH Metals in IMT Manesar after a pre-programmed welding robot's welding sticks pierced his abdomen when he reached in to adjust a dislodged metal sheet.2015-08-13copy 2026-10-14tier 2
- oneindia.comA 24-year-old worker named Ramji Lal was killed at SKH Metals Ltd in Manesar when a robot pierced his abdomen while he was adjusting a metal sheet near the machine.2015-08-31copy 2026-10-14tier 2
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