U.S. Rep. Greg Casar wants OSHA to release the results of its investigation.

Federal regulators cited Tesla for violating workplace safety rules tied to the death of Victor Gomez Sr., an electrician working as a contractor at the automaker's Austin factory. 

As first reported by Reuters, the U.S. Department of Labor confirmed the investigation was closed and Tesla was cited. The department didn't share details of Tesla's workplace safety failures or whether the Texas automaker faced penalties. 

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration started the investigation after the Aug. 1, 2024, death of Gomez. Gomez died while inspecting electrical panels at the site, according to a wrongful death lawsuit later filed by Gomez's family in Travis County. The lawsuit against Tesla and the contractor, Belcan Services, alleges negligence, saying the panel was energized when it should have been inactive. The family is seeking $1 million in damages.

On Wednesday, U.S. Representative Greg Casar, whose district includes the Tesla plant, sent a letter to the Labor Department demanding that OSHA release the full results of the investigation. 

"Americans have a right to know whether Tesla and its contractors put a man's life at risk and whether Tesla will follow workplace safety rules going forward," Casar wrote. "Furthermore, the American people have a right to know whether or not the federal government will turn a blind eye to problems at Tesla given Elon Musk's unprecedented seizure of power at the White House." 

Musk's companies have previously come under tight scrutiny over safety issues. Casar's letter mentioned the 2021 death of Antelmo Ramirez, who contracted hyperthermia while working for a Tesla contractor. One year ago, OSHA issued The Boring Company a more than $112,000 fine for several "serious" violations in Nevada, including exposing employees to chemicals that could burn them. In November, Tesla was slapped with $7,000 in fines from OSHA after exposing workers to hazardous chemicals without proper training. And in 2023, injuries at SpaceX’s facilities in South Texas reached 5.9 injuries per 100 workers, far above the space industry average of 0.8. 

https://www.chron.com/culture/article/tesla-worker-death-citation-texas-20178414.php