The robotic arm, usually responsible for lifting boxes of peppers onto pallets, was scheduled to undergo a thorough inspection on Nov. 8.
But an employee of the company, a man in his 40s, already on Wednesday evening began to carry out tests on the robot that showed tendencies of faulty sensors.
Something he, with hindsight, would never have done, as the robot arm grabbed the man and pushed him against the conveyor belt – resulting in his face and chest being crushed, reports BBC.
The employee was taken to hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
Second serious robot accident of the year in South Korea
The incident took place in South Gyeongsang Province in South Korea, and has resulted in the owner of the plant company stating that a “precise and secure” security system must be devised.
In March this year, another South Korean man had a similar accident, after becoming entangled in a robot at an auto parts company in the country.
On that occasion, fortunately, it did not end in death, but the man survived with serious injuries.