Ocado robot charger malfunctions, 370 jobs eliminated

The malfunctioning of a robot charger resulted in a major fire at an Ocado distribution centre in Andover, UK, and in the cancellation of customer deliveries. 

An electrical fault in a battery charging unit led to the plastic lid on the top of a grocery-carrying robot catching alight. The fire resulted in substantial damage to the warehouse and required nearby houses to be evacuated. 

The blaze lasted four days. It was later discovered that an automated detection system had failed and that employees had turned off the sprinklers and tried to tackle the fire, only calling the fire brigade after one hour. 

Following the incident, Ocado took steps to minimise the risk of such an event occurring again, including installing additional smoke detectors and removing the plastic lid on its robots.

The incident cost the firm an estimated GBP 110 million, excluding insurance cover, and led to the elimination of 370 jobs.