A recent investigation by Reuters has revealed that SpaceX has experienced over 600 injuries since 2014, which were not publicly reported until now. Current and former employees, mentioned in the report, attribute these unsafe working conditions to CEO Elon Musk’s aggressive deadlines and aversion to bureaucracy. They claim that Musk’s goal of expedited human colonization of Mars has led the company to compromise safety protocols and take shortcuts.
According to Reuters, injury rates at certain SpaceX facilities are significantly higher than the industry average of 0.8 injuries or illnesses per 100 workers. For instance, the injury rate at the Brownsville, Texas location in 2022 was 4.8 per 100 workers, while at the Hawthorne, California manufacturing facility it was 1.8. In McGregor, Texas, where rocket tests are conducted, the injury rate was 2.7.
Employees have suffered various injuries, including broken bones, lacerations, crushed fingers, burns, electric shocks, and severe head wounds. One incident in 2021 resulted in the blindness of Brownsville worker Florentino Rios.
2023-11-11 17:42:35
Link from www.engadget.com rnrn