California Probes Safety Complaints at Tesla

California says it has launched an investigation into claims that Tesla Inc. has been underreporting work-related injuries and illnesses that occur at its assembly plant in Fremont.

Tesla dismisses complaints about lax safety practices as a “calculated disinformation campaign” backed by “an extremist organization working directly with union supporters.”

Tesla’s reference is to Reveal, an online news blog operated by the 40-year-old Center for Investigative Reporting near San Francisco. The blog quotes Tesla workers who claim the Fremont factory puts production and the appearance of the plant floor ahead of a safe working environment.

Reveal says several workers told its reporters that the factory’s safety philosophy is heavily influenced by the aesthetic tastes of CEO Elon Musk—an aversion to yellow warning tape, for example—rather than established safety practices.

The publication also cites reports instances of meager safety training and points to cases where it asserts that Tesla either underreported injuries or improperly blamed them on personal rather than work-related issues. Tesla safety officials deny the claims.