Reuters: Worker Injuries Soar At Elon Musk’s SpaceX

Reuters reports:

One windy night at Elon Musk’s SpaceX facility in McGregor, Texas, Lonnie LeBlanc and his co-workers realized they had a problem. They needed to transport foam insulation to the rocket company’s main hangar but had no straps to secure the cargo. LeBlanc, a relatively new employee, offered a solution to hold down the load: He sat on it. After the truck drove away, a gust blew LeBlanc and the insulation off the trailer, slamming him headfirst into the pavement. He was pronounced dead from head trauma at the scene.

OSHA later determined that SpaceX had failed to protect LeBlanc from a clear hazard, noting the gravity and severity of the violation. It was hardly the last serious accident at SpaceX. Musk’s rocket company has disregarded worker-safety regulations and standard practices at its inherently dangerous rocket and satellite facilities nationwide, with workers paying a heavy price. Through interviews and government records, we documented at least 600 injuries of SpaceX workers since 2014. Many were serious or disabling.

Read the full article.

A @reuters investigation documents at least 600 previously unreported workplace injuries at SpaceX: crushed limbs, amputations, electrocutions, head and eye wounds and one death. Employees say they’re paying the price for Musk’s push to colonize Marshttps://t.co/eBwJsBhNwR

— Joey Roulette (@joroulette) November 10, 2023