Form over function? Or distracted workers? Maybe it’s both at Apple’s new headquarters in Cupertino, CA – people are reportedly walking into glass walls.
Local emergency services have been needed at least twice after people walked into glass and suffered injuries, according to documents obtained by MarketWatch. The minor cuts that resulted didn’t require hospitalization.
The new Apple HQ has been described as “overflowing with panes of glass.” Work spaces known as pods are made with a lot of glass. Reports say employees glued to their Apple iPhones are contributing to the problem.
Some staff put Post-It notes on the glass doors so people would be less likely to run into them. Reports say the notes were removed because they distracted from the building’s design.
It turns out Apple could be violating California law that says:
“Employees shall be protected against the hazard of walking through glass by barriers or by conspicuous durable markings.”
MarketWatch quotes a California official who said Apple would face fines if it was found to have violated the law.
Apple employees just started moving into the new building at the beginning of this year. It didn’t take long for the injuries to occur. MarketWatch says the two incidents it uncovered occurred on Jan. 2, and at least one of the two men who suffered head cuts was an employee.
Other reports say as many as seven people have been injured.
Apple has declined comment.
Here’s some good news for Apple: Making all these glass panels safe for occupants doesn’t have to take away from the aesthetics of the new building which has been called an architectural marvel.
There are plenty of ways to properly mark glass so people don’t walk into it that include good-looking designs – you might even call them artistic.
