Apple Has a Shocking Problem with Employees Walking into the Glass Walls of Its New Spaceship Headquarters

I have to admit that I’m a huge fan of all things Apple. When I was in college in the Bay Area back in the ’70s, I bought one of the original blue boxes built by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak to make free long-distance phone calls, which were quite expensive at the time. And while I won’t disclose here whether or not I ever used my blue box for its intended purpose, I will admit that I wish I still owned it (my guess is it would go for a gazillion dollars on eBay right about now).

Anyway, as a dyed-in-the-wool fan of Apple, I am personally in awe of Apple’s new $5 billion “spaceship” Apple Park campus that serves as the company’s headquarters and houses 13,000 employees — one of Steve Jobs’s last designs for the company that he so deeply loved.

There’s just one problem with the remarkable, circular building: employees are walking into the transparent glass walls and getting injured. Badly.

The San Francisco Chronicle just published excerpts from 911 calls made by Apple employees in January 2018. Here’s a part of the first call made on January 2nd:

Dispatcher: So the address you gave me at 1 Apple Park Way is that exactly where we’re going?

Caller: Yes.

Dispatcher: …so tell me exactly what happened.

Caller: We had an individual who ran into a glass wall pane and they hit their head. They have a small cut on their head and they are bleeding, slightly disoriented. We have on site security with them right now.

Dispatcher: Are you with the patient now?

Caller: No, I am not with the patient. We are trying to have a security unit call in right now so I connect you over.

Dispatcher: How old is the patient?

Caller: Late 20s.

Dispatcher: Is the patient male or female?

Caller: Male.

Dispatcher: Is he awake?

Caller: He is conscious.

Dispatcher: Is he breathing?

Caller: That we do not know. Yes, yes, he’s conscious and breathing.

According to the caller, the victim has “serious bleeding” from his head and paramedics were immediately dispatched to the scene of the injury.

Later that same day, however, another Apple employee was injured when he walked into a glass pane — resulting in yet another call to 911. Here’s an excerpt from that call.

Dispatcher: Is he breathing?

Caller: Yes.

Dispatcher: Give me one moment.

Caller: Looks like he is going to be a middle-aged male.

Dispatcher: OK, and where is he bleeding from?

Caller: A cut above the eyebrow.

Dispatcher: Anywhere else?

Caller: No.

Dispatcher: Is he completely alert?

Caller: Unknown at this time. We’re still waiting for an update.

Dispatcher: OK. Is he breathing normally?

Caller: Yes, to my knowledge, yeah.

Dispatcher: Is the blood spurting or pouring out?

Caller: Um, I think it’s just leaking…a small cut.

Again, paramedics were dispatched to treat the injured employee.

While it’s not known how many Apple employees have been injured walking into Apple Park’s glass walls, there’s clearly a big problem.

For it’s part, Cupertino, California (where the building is located) building inspector Albert Salvador was quoted as saying that Apple is addressing the problem by installing small white markers on the glass walls and doors to make them more visible and avert further employee injuries.

Hopefully that will do the trick, and Apple employees can put their focus back on designing great products instead of trying not to run into the walls of their headquarters building.

What would Steve Jobs do?