In the summer of 2021, Florentino Rios, an employee at SpaceX, Elon Musk’s rocket company, experienced a devastating accident while working. Rios was positioned about 25 feet above the ground when he signaled the crane operator to stop moving. Unfortunately, his hand signal went unnoticed, and the operator proceeded to move a beam that was already fixed in place. This caused a chain to snap and strike Rios in the face.
As a result of the incident, Rios lost his vision in one eye, leaving him legally blind and unable to drive or continue working in construction. He believes that SpaceX should have provided the team with walkie-talkies and improved lighting at the site to prevent such accidents from occurring.
Rios is not the only SpaceX worker who has suffered severe injuries. According to a Reuters investigation, the company has consistently disregarded worker safety regulations and standard practices over the years. Through government records and interviews, Reuters discovered over 600 injuries since 2014, including lacerations, broken bones, crushed hands, head injuries, amputations, and even one fatality in 2014.
Lonnie LeBlanc, an employee at the SpaceX facility in McGregor, Texas, tragically died from a head injury after being blown off a trailer by a gust of wind. Despite these alarming findings, SpaceX did not respond to detailed inquiries from Reuters regarding the report.
While the company has defended its safety practices during government inspections, numerous individuals with knowledge of SpaceX’s safety procedures, including current and former employees, claim that the high injury rates reflect a chaotic work environment. They assert that under-trained and overtired staff often bypass basic safety protocols in their rush to meet Elon Musk’s ambitious deadlines for space missions.
Furthermore, SpaceX takes the position that workers are responsible for their own safety, as stated by several current and former employees, including a former senior executive. Musk himself has been observed adopting a cavalier attitude towards safety during visits to company sites. According to four employees, Musk sometimes plays with a novelty flamethrower that shoots a thick flame and discourages workers from wearing safety yellow due to his personal dislike of bright colors.
Despite these safety concerns, SpaceX has achieved significant milestones since its founding in 2002, including becoming the first private company to send humans into orbit. The company currently employs around 13,000 individuals.
It is important to note that the more than 600 injuries documented by Reuters only represent a fraction of the total number of cases. Several major SpaceX facilities across the United States failed to submit injury reports for many years, and no sanctions were imposed by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for the company’s data-reporting failures.
OSHA, however, has recently increased scrutiny on all companies, although it did not provide specific comments regarding its enforcement decisions regarding SpaceX. Jordan Barab, a former deputy assistant secretary of OSHA, criticized SpaceX for prioritizing profits over worker safety and health.
In the aftermath of his life-changing injury, Rios decided to take legal action against SpaceX, alleging that the company’s negligence in implementing and following worker-safety procedures was responsible for his accident. The company, on the other hand, argued in court records that Rios’ own negligence was to blame.
For Rios, the loss of his eyesight has had a profound impact on his life. As the sole provider for his children, he now feels incomplete and unable to provide for them as he used to. Rios expressed his sadness and frustration, acknowledging that he now requires assistance whenever he wants to go anywhere.
Overall, the findings from the Reuters investigation raise serious concerns about worker safety practices at SpaceX and highlight the need for improved safety measures to prevent further accidents and injuries.
