Tesla workers at a gigafactory in South Buffalo, New York, claim the plant is infested with bed bugs and that management has sprayed the facility with toxic chemicals that are not only ineffective but also make them sick.
“You could tell there was a smell of chemicals in the air…There were several chairs that had a residue sprayed on the backs,” a staff member said. ABC 7 WKBW of the plant, where a bed bug infestation allegedly broke out on October 9.
“It was white, it looked almost like a film on the backs of chairs and some people’s jackets, because there was no advance warning.”
Employees told the outlet that managers and co-workers told them the chemical sprayed was Steri-Fab.
According Steri-Fab website, Once it is sprayed on a surface, it needs 15 minutes to dry before it is safe to come into contact. Before that, it is harmful to inhale or touch and may cause skin and eye irritation.
Workers at the 1.2 million square foot factory, where employees produce Tesla Solar Roof and Tesla Superchargers, and work on Tesla’s Autopilot software, said they were feeling some of these side effects.
“Me and some co-workers’ eyes started burning, they also became very swollen, and I started having some breathing problems,” a Tesla employee told WKBW.
Another employee emailed the outlet saying, “Many other workers, including me, had symptoms of dizziness, as well as throat swelling, nausea, and burning eyes.”
“The prospect of being around potentially toxic chemicals doesn’t make me feel comfortable,” the employee added, noting that employees have been using their paid time off or sick days to avoid going to the office.
After WKBW posted photos of the bug-infested office space, where office chairs were splattered with white residue, an X user who said She owns a pest control company and doubts Tesla’s claim that it used Steri-Fab for the bed bug infestation.
“I can guarantee the chemical that was sprayed was not Steri-fab,” tweeted the X user who goes by the name Liz. “Steri-fab is essentially isopropyl alcohol. “It would NEVER leave a white residue like the one in the picture.”
Liz too He suggested that Tesla “claims it is Steri-fab because it doesn’t follow the law. For all other pesticides you have to remove them for 3 hours, for Steri-fab it is only 15 minutes as it is rubbed with alcohol and dries instantly. Any technician will tell you that image is not Steri-fab residue.”
Other images from the Tesla Gigafactory 2 plant in South Buffalo show the insects, which are no larger than an apple seed, trapped in the carpet, while office videos Show one of the pests crawling on the ground.
Liz noted in her tweet that “you usually only see one bed bug for every 100 hiding ones that you will never see. She would encourage staff to have their homes inspected with Tesla money.”
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said it received dozens of complaints from Tesla workers at this gigafactory, according to WKBW.
“We can confirm that OSHA is aware of this situation and is investigating it,” the agency told The Post on Friday.
OSHA said it is investigating Tesla’s protocols for using chemicals in the office, although it does not have any standards for bed bugs in the workplace.
Tesla representatives did not immediately respond to the Post’s request for comment.
According to the New York State Department of Health, Bed bug infestations typically occur when pests hitchhike into a space through used furniture, purses, backpacks, or other soft or upholstered items.
