An industrial robot crushed a worker to death at a vegetable packing plant in South Korea

By KIM TONG-HYUNG
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Police say an industrial robot crushed a worker to death at a vegetable packaging plant in South Korea. The man died of head and chest injuries after he was grabbed and pressed against a conveyor belt by the machine’s robotic arms. He worked for a company that installs industrial robots and was sent to the plant to examine whether the machine was working properly. Robots that have extensions to pick up and place items are common in South Korea’s agricultural communities. Police officials in the southern county of Goseong said Thursday they were looking into whether the machine had technical defects or safety issues.