Robot punctures bear repellent can, sickens dozens of warehouse workers
S4 · ~Dec 2018 · Amazon · Robbinsville, NJ, USA
Record
| Company | Amazon |
| Industry | Warehouse automation |
| Type(s) | injury |
| Date | ~Dec 2018 (month precision) |
| Time of day | ~06:05 EST |
| Location | Robbinsville, NJ, USA · Amazon fulfillment center |
| Severity | (serious injury, total loss, or grounding) |
| Scale | 1 robot/incident, 24 hospitalized |
| Confidence | high |
| Verified flag | Yes - independently re-checked against the cited source |
Summary
An automated machine at Amazon's Robbinsville, NJ fulfillment center punctured a 9 oz can of bear repellent (capsaicin spray); more than 50 workers reported illness and 24 were hospitalized, one in critical condition.
Primary source
Publisher: NPR · Retrieved: 2026-09-16
Supporting source rows (1)
| Date | Supporting source row | Publisher | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| ~Dec 2018 | Robot punctures bear repellent can, sickens dozens of warehouse workers | NPR | NPR |
Amazon other incidents timeline
Warehouse automation context
injury context
Amazon industry position
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