The recent worker death at SpaceX's Starbase site in South Texas has once again brought attention to the company's long-standing worker safety issues. This incident, which occurred just days before SpaceX's planned launch of its upgraded Starship rocket, highlights the ongoing challenges in ensuring worker safety at the site.
OSHA has opened an investigation into the death, but the circumstances are still unclear. The agency has stated that it will not release more information until the investigation is complete, which could take months. This delay in information release is a common practice for OSHA, but it does little to ease the concerns of the public and workers.
SpaceX has a history of worker safety problems at its Starbase site, which is an active construction zone and handles Starship prototype launches. In 2025, TechCrunch analyzed OSHA data and found that the Texas launch site had an injury rate that far outpaced those of industry rivals, making it the most dangerous of SpaceX's worksites. A 2023 Reuters investigation uncovered dozens of previously unreported injuries and a worker death in 2014 at SpaceX's McGregor, Texas, test site.
In January, OSHA hit SpaceX with seven "serious" safety violations for not properly inspecting a crane before it collapsed at Starbase last June. The safety agency dealt SpaceX the maximum financial penalty on six of those seven violations, totaling $115,850. SpaceX is contesting those penalties, federal records show.
The company has been hit with multiple lawsuits related to injuries sustained at Starbase in recent years. In December, an employee of one of SpaceX's subcontractors sued after he was crushed by a large metal support dropped from a crane. The worker, Eduardo Cavazos, suffered a broken hip, knee, and tibia, and OSHA opened a "rapid response investigation."
OSHA has since closed that rapid response investigation without taking any punitive action, according to a TechCrunch public records request. And the lawsuit was recently dropped because his employer, the subcontractor, provides workers' compensation insurance that prevents the company from being sued, according to Cavazos' attorney.
This pattern of OSHA investigations and lawsuits without significant consequences raises questions about the effectiveness of current safety measures. It also highlights the need for a more comprehensive approach to worker safety at SpaceX's Starbase site.
In my opinion, SpaceX needs to take a more proactive approach to worker safety. This includes implementing stricter safety protocols, providing better training for workers, and ensuring that OSHA's recommendations are fully followed. Additionally, the company should be more transparent about its safety measures and progress in addressing these issues.
The recent worker death at SpaceX's Starbase site is a stark reminder of the importance of worker safety. It is crucial for the company to take immediate action to address these concerns and ensure the well-being of its workers. Only then can SpaceX truly live up to its potential as a leader in space exploration and innovation.
