5 days ago
Ex-Northvolt CEO suspected of negligence in worker's death
The ex-CEO of Swedish battery maker Northvolt, which went bankrupt in March, will be questioned over suspicions a failure to follow safety protocols caused a factory worker's death.
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Peter Carlsson, former chief executive of the once buzz-generating startup, is being investigated along with others over an explosion at the company's factory in Skellefteå in northern Sweden in November 2023.
A 25-year-old employee suffered severe burns and died after fighting for his life for several weeks.
"He will be questioned by the police today, Friday or next week," Prosecutor Christer Jarlås told AFP, adding an appointment had been made with the suspect's lawyer.
Jarlås said Carlsson would formally be informed that he is suspected of a "work environment offence" and "causing the death of another" in connection with the interrogation.
The prosecutor said he intends to make Carlsson a formal suspect on the basis of his personal responsibility as CEO for making sure safety protocols were adhered to.
"This is an offence where a person in a position of responsibility within the company failed to take all the measures required by workplace safety legislation," Jarlås said.
"And this led to the death of an employee. If all the legal measures had been taken, it is very likely that the victim would have survived," he added.
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The failure stemmed from an inadequate analysis of the risks associated with the workplace, according to the prosecutor.
The factory, Northvolt Ett, was not classified as an area with a risk of explosion or fire, but only as one where there was a risk of exposure to chemicals.
The 25-year-old man "was wearing protective clothing suitable for this type of risk, but not clothing designed to protect against fire or explosions", Jarlås said.
"The clothes he was wearing also caught fire, which contributed to his injuries and subsequent death in hospital."
Founded in 2016, Northvolt had been seen as a cornerstone of European attempts to catch up with Asia and the United States in the production of battery cells, the crucial component of electric vehicles.
Northvolt had struggled under a mountain of debt, slow demand and production delays, when it applied for bankruptcy in Sweden on March 12.
The court-appointed trustee managing the bankruptcy had intended to maintain production at Northvolt as they searched for a buyer, but announced earlier this month it would halt production at the end of June – as it only had one customer, truck maker Scania.
