cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/2688916
Reuters documented at least 600 previously unreported workplace injuries at Musk’s rocket company: crushed limbs, amputations, electrocutions, head and eye wounds and one death. SpaceX employees say they’re paying the price for the billionaire’s push to colonize space at breakneck speed.
Through interviews and government records, Reuters documented at least 600 injuries of SpaceX workers since 2014. Many were serious or disabling. The records included reports of more than 100 workers suffering cuts or lacerations, 29 with broken bones or dislocations, 17 whose hands or fingers were “crushed,” and nine with head injuries, including one skull fracture, four concussions and one traumatic brain injury. The cases also included five burns, five electrocutions, eight accidents that led to amputations, 12 injuries involving multiple unspecified body parts, and seven workers with eye injuries.
SpaceX, founded by Musk more than two decades ago, takes the stance that workers are responsible for protecting themselves, according to more than a dozen current and former employees, including a former senior executive.
Musk himself at times appeared cavalier about safety on visits to SpaceX sites: Four employees said he sometimes played with a novelty flamethrower and discouraged workers from wearing safety yellow because he dislikes bright colors.
Rush to Mars
Is that even a thing still? I thought SpaceX had long abandoned this hype piece.
Yeah yikes. If it’s this bad already can you imagine the headlines about whatever poor bastards actually embark on the quest?
I’m sure we all kinda hope Musk himself goes so he can aggrandize himself as the first guy on Mars, and we can all promptly just leave him there and forget about him forever…if they make it at all, and if the crew doesn’t arrange an “accident” of their own that sees him jettisoned for being sus.
Removed by mod
Fuck it, I don’t want space anymore.
You can get space anyway, Lonnie’s death literally could’ve been prevented with a $20 ratchet strap. Workplace safety is not an obstacle to competitive industry, it’s just an inexplicable pet peeve of Elons
if you save twenty bucks you can break more stuff, and if you aren’t breaking shit you aren’t working fast enough for musk
probably
I do, just not with elon’s musk or ruthless hellscape exploitative capitalism.
A pubertarian boss be like:
Just playing devils advocate for a moment. Not saying that SpaceX should be doing everything it can for worker safety.
But how do these numbers compare against similar industries like construction or fabrication?
From the linked article:
The 2022 injury rate at the company’s manufacturing-and-launch facility near Brownsville, Texas, was 4.8 injuries or illnesses per 100 workers – six times higher than the space-industry average of 0.8.
No mention of other industries, but a quick search shows that the injury rate is 2.4 in construction and 3.2 in manufacturing. However, it’s important to note that all industries underreport injuries, especially SpaceX, as OP’s article discusses.
Also, I think it’s interesting to note that Texas, where SpaceX are moving most of their operations, has the most worker deaths of any state.
Thx for the info. I think SpaceX has a bigger construction/manufacturing operation compares to other launch providers who tend to oursource most of that work.
Pretty dire numbers as a significant portion are not high risk jobs.
