An accident involving an Amazon warehouse robot has put 24 people in hospital.
The robot punctured a small can of bear repellent containing concentrated capsaicin, local media reported. It had fallen off a shelf in one of the online retailer's warehouses in New Jersey, where more than 3000 people work.
Capsaicin is the substance that gives chili peppers their kick.
"All of the impacted employees have been or are expected to be released from hospital within the next 24 hours," Amazon said in a statement.
"The safety of our employees is always our top priority and a full investigation is already under way."
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Amazon's treatment of its employees have made headlines in recent years, with concerns of low pay and dangerous conditions taking the shine off the company's massive financial success.
CEO Jeff Bezos is one of the richest people in the world, with a fortune exceeding US$100 billion, but many of his company's workers earn near the minimum wage.
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Fatal accidents at the hands of robots have occurred in Germany and the US. Both involved robots at car manufacturing factories grabbing people and crushing them.
Newshub.
