Washington: Three US lawmakers are demanding better Test Elon Musk’s Employees About Safety spacex That followed a Reuters investigation that documented hundreds of injuries at the rocket company’s US manufacturing and launch sites.
A Nov. 10 Reuters report detailed at least 600 previously unreported workplace injuries at SpaceX since 2014, including crushed limbs, amputations, head injuries and one death.
The Reuters report found that injury rates at three major SpaceX industrial facilities in Texas and California are far higher than the space industry average.
Representative Zoe Lofgren of California, the top Democrat on the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, said the report’s findings are “deeply concerning and should be taken very seriously.”
The science panel oversees NASA’s budget and the activities of the agency’s contractors.
Democratic Representative Mark Takano of California called the report “deeply troubling.” Takano is a member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, which oversees worker-safety matters.
“These egregious and persistent violations at SpaceX are unacceptable,” Takano said. “Accountability for those harmed is overdue, especially in light of the federal government’s partnership with the company.”
US space agency NASA has so far paid SpaceX, headquartered in Hawthorne, California, $11.8 billion as a private space contractor.
Democratic Representative Donald Norcross of New Jersey, who is also a member of the Education and Workforce Committee, called the findings “alarming and certainly cause for concern.”
“It’s clear we need to take a closer look and further investigate the facts,” said Norcross, who has fielded inquiries into safety issues at Amazon Inc warehouses among other employers.
Republicans control the House.
SpaceX did not respond to Reuters questions about the injuries or comments from lawmakers.
NASA has not commented on the company’s safety record, but told Reuters it has the option to enforce contract provisions that require SpaceX to have “a strong and effective safety program and culture.”
Former NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver, who oversaw the early years of the agency’s relationship with SpaceX, said the high employee injury rates at SpaceX facilities should be investigated by NASA to determine the causes.
“This should be a wake-up call to NASA,” Garver said, calling on the agency to “explore” the issue and “make it better.”
“They shouldn’t have higher rates than other companies,” Garver said. “It’s a problem.”
SpaceX’s next-generation spacecraft Starship, developed to carry astronauts to the Moon and beyond, launched from South Texas on Saturday for a repeat test launch, its first attempt to reach space in a Seven months after it ended with an explosion.
A Nov. 10 Reuters report detailed at least 600 previously unreported workplace injuries at SpaceX since 2014, including crushed limbs, amputations, head injuries and one death.
The Reuters report found that injury rates at three major SpaceX industrial facilities in Texas and California are far higher than the space industry average.
Representative Zoe Lofgren of California, the top Democrat on the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, said the report’s findings are “deeply concerning and should be taken very seriously.”
The science panel oversees NASA’s budget and the activities of the agency’s contractors.
Democratic Representative Mark Takano of California called the report “deeply troubling.” Takano is a member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, which oversees worker-safety matters.
“These egregious and persistent violations at SpaceX are unacceptable,” Takano said. “Accountability for those harmed is overdue, especially in light of the federal government’s partnership with the company.”
US space agency NASA has so far paid SpaceX, headquartered in Hawthorne, California, $11.8 billion as a private space contractor.
Democratic Representative Donald Norcross of New Jersey, who is also a member of the Education and Workforce Committee, called the findings “alarming and certainly cause for concern.”
“It’s clear we need to take a closer look and further investigate the facts,” said Norcross, who has fielded inquiries into safety issues at Amazon Inc warehouses among other employers.
Republicans control the House.
SpaceX did not respond to Reuters questions about the injuries or comments from lawmakers.
NASA has not commented on the company’s safety record, but told Reuters it has the option to enforce contract provisions that require SpaceX to have “a strong and effective safety program and culture.”
Former NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver, who oversaw the early years of the agency’s relationship with SpaceX, said the high employee injury rates at SpaceX facilities should be investigated by NASA to determine the causes.
“This should be a wake-up call to NASA,” Garver said, calling on the agency to “explore” the issue and “make it better.”
“They shouldn’t have higher rates than other companies,” Garver said. “It’s a problem.”
SpaceX’s next-generation spacecraft Starship, developed to carry astronauts to the Moon and beyond, launched from South Texas on Saturday for a repeat test launch, its first attempt to reach space in a Seven months after it ended with an explosion.
(TagstoTranslate)Scrutiny by US lawmakers(T)SpaceX workers(T)SpaceX(T)Scrutiny(T)NASA