
Amazon “automated machine” punctures bear spray can, 24 employees hospitalized - shawndumas
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/12/amazon-automated-machine-punctures-bear-spray-can-24-employees-hospitalized/
======
Bucephalus355
Can’t find the article, but there was a case a few years ago where a Chinese
tourist sprayed bear mace ON HIS KIDS because he thought, not unreasonably,
that it was like mosquito repellent. I assume the vacation was ruined after
that.

~~~
cl0ne
Poor kids, bear mace is strong. I've definitely heard of people using it in
that way though.

~~~
anchovies
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_spray](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_spray)
(pepper)

is not

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CN_gas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CN_gas)
(mace)

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CS_gas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CS_gas)
(tear)

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CR_gas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CR_gas)

------
tomatotomato37
Not completely related, but I learned today that the official world's hottest
pepper has approached the scoville level of low-level pepper spray at 2.2
million (Carolina Reaper). Bear spray is still higher at around 5 million
though.

------
notananthem
Are they even actual Amazon employees or contractors?

------
kevin_b_er
Will Amazon pay for their expensive hospital stays?

~~~
scintill76
> All the Amazon employees were covered by employer-provided healthcare

~~~
dragonwriter
> All the Amazon employees were covered by employer-provided healthcare

Which (unless they have a weird hybrid regular health insurance + workers comp
plan, which I've never heard of but might theoretically exist, especially if
they self-insure for both functions) is probably immaterial, since it'll be
Amazon’s workers comp plan, not the employees' regular health insurance (no
matter who pays for it), that will be involved here.

