An industrial robot crushed a worker to death at a vegetable packing plant in South Korea

This photo provided by the South Korea Gyeongsangnam-do Fire Department shows the interior of a vegetable packaging plant after a robot's deadly crush with a worker was reported, in Goseong, South Korea, on Nov 8, 2023. An industrial robot crushed a worker to death at a vegetable packaging plant in South Korea, police said Thursday, as they investigate whether the machine was unsafe or had potential defects. — South Korea Gyeongsangnam-do Fire Department via AP

SEOUL, South Korea: An industrial robot grabbed and crushed a worker to death at a vegetable packaging plant in South Korea, police said on Nov 9, as they investigated whether the machine was defective or improperly designed.

Police said early evidence suggests that human error was more likely to blame rather than problems with the machine itself. But the incident still triggered public concern about the safety of industrial robots and the false sense of security they may give to humans working nearby in a country that increasingly relies on such machines to automate its industries.