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Incident · Fatality

OSHA: 18-year-old machine operator killed by robotic arm during sensor maintenance (2024)

On December 2, 2024, an 18-year-old machine operator (employer: Traffic Materials Supplier, LLC) was performing maintenance on a sensor inside a robotic enclosure. The robot had been stopped by entrance sensors, but while he cleaned the sensor a coworker reset the machine from the control panel, unaware he was still inside. The robotic arm activated, struck him, and reportedly lifted and placed him onto a roller platform; he sustained fatal internal and external injuries. OSHA accident investigation (inspection 1790802.015) cited lockout/tagout and machine-guarding failures.

Occurred 2024-12-02

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What happened in OSHA: 18-year-old machine operator killed by robotic arm during sensor maintenance (2024)?
On December 2, 2024, an 18-year-old machine operator (employer: Traffic Materials Supplier, LLC) was performing maintenance on a sensor inside a robotic enclosure. The robot had been stopped by entrance sensors, but while he cleaned the sensor a coworker reset the machine from the control panel, unaware he was still inside. The robotic arm activated, struck him, and reportedly lifted and placed him onto a roller platform; he sustained fatal internal and external injuries. OSHA accident investigation (inspection 1790802.015) cited lockout/tagout and machine-guarding failures.
When did this incident occur?
The incident is recorded as occurring on December 2, 2024 on the DEPLOY registry. The date reflects the underlying real-world event, not the registry record's creation date.
Has anyone responded to OSHA: 18-year-old machine operator killed by robotic arm during sensor maintenance (2024)?
No responses to this incident are recorded on the DEPLOY registry. Operators, manufacturers, or affected parties can submit responses to the editorial team; absence is not a guarantee no response was issued.
What is the current status of OSHA: 18-year-old machine operator killed by robotic arm during sensor maintenance (2024)?
This incident is an active record on the DEPLOY registry; no retraction or correction has been issued.
Methodology: Claimed (not independently verified) · no sources on file · last reviewed 2026-06-25

Verification posture

Claimed (not independently verified)

Low confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-06-25

The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.

Methodology surface for OSHA: 18-year-old machine operator killed by robotic arm during sensor maintenance (2024).

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Canonical ID 5880d253-4617-4fe2-a5df-6463ed37ae39