News
Tesla shares updates on workplace safety, CAL-OSHA investigation results
During the recently-held third quarter earnings call, CEO Elon Musk and VP for Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Laurie Shelby briefly discussed the safety initiatives that the company has implemented to keep its factory workers as safe as possible. In one of her remarks, the VP of EHS noted that it is an exciting time for Tesla today, as the company is making the “safest cars made by the safest people.”
In a recent blog post on Tesla’s official website, Laurie Shelby elaborated further on the company’s safety programs that were rolled out over the past year. Since joining Tesla back in October 2017, Shelby stated that her EHS team had grown to 250 employees, including 35 EHS staff in the Fremont factory alone. Several programs, some of which were teased during the earnings call, have also been started as part of Tesla’s pursuit of becoming the safest car factory on the market.
Back in June, for example, Tesla the started transitioning to a new occupational health clinic in the Fremont factory. These clinics are overseen by a leading California orthopedic surgeon specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries, which comprise around 85-90% of injuries in Tesla’s facilities. Shelby pointed out in her update that prior to its current system, Fremont’s health facility provided a lineup of services that was primarily focused on triage and first aid. With the newly rolled out clinic, Tesla’s workers can receive on-site, specialized care from full-time physicians who can provide medical assessments and immediate diagnosis.
As part of Tesla’s Early Symptom Intervention program, the company has also begun sending professional athletic trainers on the factory lines to identify potential injuries before they occur. These trainers are tasked with offering on-site evaluations and suggestions for improved ergonomic safety. So far, trainers have conducted more than 6,000 consultations with Tesla employees from the General Assembly, Seats, and Production Control lines, to name a few.
Perhaps most notable in the EHS VP’s update, though, was additional information on the CAL-OSHA investigation that was conducted earlier this year. Back in April, an expose by news agency Reveal based on accounts from alleged insiders and previous workers at Tesla accused the company of intentionally misreporting its injury rates. The expose blamed much of Tesla’s alleged safety problems on Elon Musk himself. At one point, for example, the publication noted that Tesla didn’t have enough hazard markings on the factory floor because “Elon does not like the color yellow.” Tesla promptly fired back, strongly denying the allegations in the report. A CAL-OSHA investigation into Tesla’s alleged malpractice eventually followed.
During the third quarter earnings call, Laurie Shelby noted that the CAL-OSHA investigation lasted four months, and the organization found no misreporting on Tesla’s part.
“The company here had a 4-month long Cal-OSHA investigation. And it basically proves that we are recording properly and doing as we should be. So it’s much different than what you would read about in the press,” she said.
In her safety update, Shelby added that after an extensive review of Tesla’s legally mandated records, injury logs, and safety policies, CAL-OSHA identified only two minor issues. One was an extension cord connected to a fan that created a potential trip hazard, and another was a date of injury that was incorrectly logged. Tesla promptly addressed the extension cord issue, while the incorrectly logged date of injury was immediately clarified and confirmed by a medical provider.
In true Tesla fashion, the company has ambitious goals when it comes to the safety of its employees. Earlier this year, for one, Shelby wrote a post announcing the company’s target of becoming the safest car factory in the world. The VP for EHS noted then that ultimately, workplace safety comes down to a combination of common sense, a culture that values safety, and a series of proactive preventive measures. If her recent update is any indication, it appears that over the past year, Tesla has started to make progress on all three fronts.
The full text of Tesla VP for EHS Laurie Shelby’s entire update could be accessed here.
News
Tesla Sweden’s port deal sparks political clash in Trelleborg
The extension of Tesla’s lease has drawn criticism from the local Social Democratic opposition.
Tesla Sweden’s lease agreement at the Port of Trelleborg has triggered a political dispute, with local leaders divided over whether the municipally owned port should continue renting space to the electric vehicle maker amidst its ongoing conflict with the IF Metall union.
Tesla Sweden’s recently extended contract with the Port of Trelleborg has triggered calls for greater political oversight of future agreements.
Tesla has used the Port of Trelleborg to import vehicles into Sweden amid a blockade by the Transport Workers’ Union, as noted in a report from Dagens Arbete (DA). By routing cars via trucks on passenger ferries, the company has maintained deliveries despite the labor dispute. Vehicles have also been stored and prepared in facilities leased from the municipal port company.
The extension of Tesla’s lease has drawn criticism from the local Social Democratic opposition. Initially, the Port of Trelleborg hinted that it would not enter into new agreements with Tesla, but it eventually opted to renew its existing contract with the EV maker anyway.
Lennart Höckert, an opposition councilor, described the port’s decision as a “betrayal of the Swedish model,” arguing that a municipally owned entity should not appear to side with one party in an active labor dispute.
“If you want to protect the Swedish model, you shouldn’t get involved in a conflict and help one of the parties. When you as a company do this, it means that you are actually taking a position and making things worse in an already ongoing conflict,” Höckert said.
He added that the party now wants politicians to review and approve future rental agreements involving municipal properties at the port.
The proposal has been sharply criticized by Mathias Andersson of the Sweden Democrats, who chairs the municipal board. In comments to local media, Andersson described the Social Democrats’ approach as “Kim Jong Un-style,” arguing that political leaders should not micromanage a company governed by its own board.
“I believe that the port should be run like any other business,” Andersson said. He also noted that operational decisions fall under the authority of the Port of Trelleborg’s board instead of elected officials.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s X sees outage on Monday as users report issues
Monday’s outage follows a similar issue that befell the social media platform in mid-January.
X experienced an outage on Monday morning, with tens of thousands of users reporting that the platform failed to load across both desktop and mobile. The disruption began around 8:02 a.m. ET, as per Downdetector data, and quickly escalated in the U.S. and U.K.
Monday’s outage follows a similar issue that befell the social media platform in mid-January.
Shortly after 8 a.m. ET, Downdetector showed a sharp rise in incident reports. At one point, U.S. complaints exceeded 40,000, while U.K. reports climbed past 6,000. Earlier in the outage, filings had already crossed 11,000 in the U.S. and 3,300 in the U.K., as noted in a TechRadar report. X users in other locations, such as the Philippines and Costa Rica, also reported similar issues.
Users attempting to access X were met with a “something went wrong” message. Feeds did not refresh, posts failed to appear, and both the social media platform’s app and web versions appeared affected by the issue. The outage struck during peak weekday usage, amplifying its visibility across regions worldwide.
X has not issued an official explanation for the latest outage or confirmed what caused the service disruption. The scale of complaints drew comparisons to the platform’s major outage in November 2025, which resulted in users being met with “Internal server error / Error code 500” messages, as well as Cloudflare-related error notices.
The incident also comes just weeks after X experienced a similar downtime in mid-January. That outage seemed more notable, however, with more than 100,000 users reporting issues with the social media platform on Downdetector.
Elon Musk
New details emerge on The Boring Company’s Universal tunnel plans
The materials outline staffing, construction timelines, tunnel configuration, and operational details that were not previously public.
Newly released bidding documents have shed light on how Elon Musk’s Boring Company plans to connect Universal Orlando Resort’s north campus to Universal Epic Universe.
The materials outline staffing, construction timelines, tunnel configuration, and operational details that were not previously public about the planned Loop system.
The Shingle Creek Transit & Utility Community Development District voted Feb. 11 to begin contract negotiations with The Boring Company after ranking it the top bidder for the Universal Orlando transport project. Now, evaluation documents obtained by local news media reveal how the company intends to execute the project, according to Attraction Insight.
The proposal describes a twin-tunnel configuration, with one tunnel in each direction. It also noted that permitting, design, and construction could take roughly a year and a half once approvals are secured. The company indicated it could deploy multiple tunnel boring machines and install temporary support infrastructure, including muck storage pits and stormwater systems, during construction.
Bid documents list eight internal specialists assigned to the project, including tunnel engineers, structural engineers, and tunnel boring machine experts. Six subcontractors would handle fire protection, communications, soil treatment, and concrete work.
The company stated it “has the necessary internally produced tunneling equipment and personnel immediately available to complete this project for the district as quickly as permits and approvals can be obtained.”
Operationally, the system would mirror the company’s Las Vegas Loop model, using Tesla vehicles to provide point-to-point transport rather than fixed-route buses. The proposal frames the concept as “on-demand, express transportation,” with vehicles dispatched as needed and capacity adjustable in real time.
Stations could be built underground or above ground with ramp access into tunnels. The documents also referenced potential future integration of a configurable Robovan for passengers and cargo, though capacity projections for the Orlando tunnels have not yet been disclosed.
The proposal states that the Loop can integrate “easily into environmentally sensitive areas,” but it does not provide detailed mitigation plans for Central Florida’s high water table and limestone geology, which is susceptible to sinkholes. The company has stated that it intends to hire an Orlando-based geotechnical firm to evaluate soil conditions.
Tesla Sweden’s port deal sparks political clash in Trelleborg
Elon Musk’s X sees outage on Monday as users report issues
