You would expect a company like Apple Inc. to have sleek headquarters that hint at their technological prowess. You wouldn’t expect it to be harmful to employees and visitors. People are experiencing problems with the new $5 million Apple Park in Cupertino, Califorina—they’re walking into walls and doors that are made of glass.
There have been at least two incidents of employees hurting themselves severely enough that they required medical attention, reports MarketWatch. Fortunately, the injuries were minor cuts, and the people did not need to be hospitalized.
It’s not uncommon for employees to be distracted by their iPhones, which has caused some people to walk into the panes, those familiar with the incidents told Time.
To combat the problem, some staff members started putting sticky notes on the glass doors; however, they were reportedly removed because they took away from the building’s design. There are other markings that identify the walls as glass.
Architect Norman Foster designed the facility, which was envisioned by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs several years ago. Jobs described it as “a little like a spaceship landed” and is credited with creating the glass pods in order to connect individual office spaces with social areas. The building can accommodate around 13,000 employees.
The problem is an actual safety concern. According to California law, “employees shall be protected against the hazard of walking through glass by barriers or by conspicuous durable markings.”
Apple Park was initially scheduled to open in spring 2017 but just started welcoming employees in early 2018. The two men who walked into the glass and cut their heads did so on Jan. 2.
Apple has yet to comment on the incidents.
It isn’t the first time someone has had a problem with one of Apple’s glass buildings. In 2011, an elderly woman walked into the glass wall at an Apple store in Manhasset, N.Y., and broke her nose. She sued, and Apple settled the lawsuit.
