SpaceX employees suffered 600 injuries due to Elon Musk’s ambitions – Kommersant

Since 2014, more than 600 injuries have occurred at SpaceX facilities, many of which were serious, resulting in disability or death. This figure, based on interviews and government reports, is given by the agency. Reuters.

The agency reports that more than 100 workers suffered cuts or lacerations, 29 with broken bones or dislocations, 17 with broken arms or fingers, and nine with head injuries. There were five burns, five electrocutions, eight accidents resulting in amputations, 12 multiple body injuries and seven eye injuries. One skull fracture, four concussions and one traumatic brain injury were also recorded. This number of injuries is associated with a poor safety culture due to tight work deadlines and Elon Musk’s management style.

The agency talks about several situations in which workers risked their health so as not to miss deadlines. So, to speed up work and cut costs, SpaceX began producing rockets in tents near the Gulf of Mexico. SpaceX workers said welders welded rocket parts for up to 12 hours a day, six days a week, often at temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.7 degrees Celsius). When it got too hot, they were given special fluids intravenously and sent back to work.

Agency sources noted that workers slept at work and took stimulant medications to meet tight production deadlines. Mr. Musk himself noted that the employees themselves bear responsibility for safety at the enterprise.

Alexandra Goroshilova