Media: injury rates at SpaceX exceeded industry average for second year
Injury rates at SpaceX facilities exceeded the industry average in 2023 – as stated in a review of safety data provided by the space venture controlled by billionaire Elon Musk to American regulators, Reuters reports
Data for 2023, recently disclosed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, shows that injury rates at some SpaceX facilities grew worse than those in 2022. For example, at its production and launch facility in Brownsville, Texas, the company reported almost 6 injuries per 100 employees, surpassing its rate of 4.8 injuries in 2022 and topping a space industry average of 0.8.
“The company’s high injury rate last year was the subject of a Reuters investigation that found at least 600 previously unreported worker injuries at the rocket and satellite company. According to Reuters, those injuries resulted in crushed limbs, amputations, serious head injuries, and one death,” the publication reads.
Safety experts say the high injury rates should be of concern for SpaceX clients, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The federal space programme has increasingly relied on SpaceX in recent years, and as of 2022, it had paid at least $11.8bn to it under various contracts.
