New data suggests that Elon Musk’s SpaceX has a worse safety record than most other companies in the industry.
Workplace injuries at some SpaceX facilities surpassed industry standards in 2023, according to data reported by the company to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. And in some instances, SpaceX’s reported injury rates from last year were higher than in 2022.
SpaceX reported increased employee injury rates at its locations in Cape Canaveral, Florida; Brownsville, Texas; and Redmond, Washington. The largest rise was detected at Cape Canaveral, where the employee injury rate increased from 0.9 to 2.5. The space industry’s worker injury average is 0.8.
This week’s findings come at the heels of a 2023 investigation by Reuters that uncovered at least 600 unreported employee injuries at SpaceX. The harm included crushed limbs, amputations, head injuries and death.
Concerns about workplace safety are not new to businesses owned by Mr. Musk. Tesla, where he’s CEO, has been accused of shirking its safety responsibilities by OSHA. In 2022, the agency fined the electric vehicle maker thousands of dollars after former workers accused Tesla of giving them fake safety training certificates.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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