A recent investigation has uncovered over 600 previously unreported workplace accidents at Elon Musk’s rocket company, SpaceX.
These undocumented injuries were severe in their nature. They range from crushed limbs and amputations to burns and electrocutions. Those familiar with this matter say the grave trend reflects the toll of Elon Musk’s aggressive pursuit of space colonization.
The report authors said this investigation revealed a pattern of SpaceX neglecting worker-safety regulations and established practices, and the fact that this negative and dangerous trend is present at its rocket and satellite facilities nationwide.
The investigation primarily covered the time period since 2014 and was based on a number of interviews and government records. Among at least 600 documented injuries, the severity varies, with over 100 cases of cuts or lacerations, 29 instances of broken bones, and 17 cases of crushed hands or fingers, among others.
The report underscores the challenges posed by Elon Musk’s ambitious goals in the space exploration industry and raises concerns about worker safety within SpaceX.
Present and former employees have revealed that these injuries are indicative of a disorderly work environment where often inadequately trained and fatigued staff frequently overlooked basic safety procedures to meet Musk’s ambitious deadlines for space missions.
SpaceX, established by Elon Musk over two decades ago, reportedly maintains a stance that places the responsibility for self-protection on workers, as indicated by numerous current and former employees, including a former senior executive.
Musk himself has, on occasion, displayed a nonchalant attitude towards safety during visits to SpaceX sites. According to four employees, he occasionally engaged in playful activities with a novelty flamethrower and discouraged workers from wearing safety yellow due to his aversion to bright colors.
“Elon’s concept that SpaceX is on this mission to go to Mars as fast as possible and save humanity permeates every part of the company,” commented Tom Moline, a former SpaceX senior avionics engineer. “The company justifies casting aside anything that could stand in the way of accomplishing that goal, including worker safety.”
In total, Reuters conducted interviews with over three dozen individuals knowledgeable about safety practices at Elon Musk’s SpaceX, a majority of whom were current or former employees. Many of these sources chose to remain anonymous due to concerns about potential career or legal consequences.
It’s important to note that the documented injuries, exceeding 600, represent only a fraction of the total case count, a figure not publicly disclosed. Since 2016, OSHA has mandated companies to annually report their overall injury figures; however, SpaceX facilities neglected to submit reports for most of those years.
Notably, approximately two-thirds of the injuries brought to light by this recent Reuters investigation occurred in years when SpaceX did not report this annual data.
The details about the 600-plus injuries were uncovered by analyzing court documents from worker lawsuits, employee medical records, state workers’ compensation claims, public records requests, and emergency-call records.
Written by Alius Noreika
