Working in an auto manufacturing plant is dangerous; that much is unavoidable. There are big, complex machines to get caught in, heavy equipment to be squashed by, and dangerous chemicals that can be accidentally ingested. Still, when major injuries happen regularly, alarm bells should sound. Such is reportedly the case at Rivian’s Normal, Illinois plant, where more serious health and safety violations have occurred than at any other American auto plant in the past year.
Bloomberg published an in-depth investigation Tuesday stating Rivian received 16 initial citations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in 21 months. No other auto manufacturer in America had more than 10, while Volkswagen, BMW, and Subaru had none. Admittedly, none of those 16 initial citations were repeat citations, which are far worse, but the number of different citations seems to indicate a widespread lack of safety protocols.
A Rivian spokesperson told Bloomberg, “Initial citations should not be confused as final citations, and to suggest otherwise is incredibly misleading.”
However, according to OSHA head David Michaels, the initial citation is typically the more truthful one. “OSHA’s objective is to get the hazard abated,” he told Bloomberg. The idea is that OSHA doesn’t want a long, drawn out, potentially unresolved legal dispute as that will take longer to fix the issue. OSHA will then downgrade the citation if the automaker settles and makes safety improvements. “And so OSHA is often willing to reduce both the penalties and the number of citations in order to get that settlement,” Michaels explained.
The Drive reached out to Rivian and will update this story with its response.
In those 21 months, the injuries that Rivian plant workers suffered reportedly included an amputated finger, a severe back laceration, a fractured foot, and even a cracked skull. One employee who worked in the paint booth claims that she regularly vomited so much blue bile she began suffering weight loss. When she asked for a respirator, she said she was denied. Eventually, she was moved to wiping down cars at the end of the assembly line, where she was told to climb on top of a vehicle while it was still on the production line. She says she was later relieved of her duties for failing to provide enough documentation to justify her sick leave.
“We provide all necessary safety equipment, including respirators,” a Rivian spokesperson told Bloomberg. “The health and safety of everyone at Rivian is our top priority, and we’re proud of our strong safety record—which continues to improve year over year.”
Rivian also claimed that its work-related injuries and illnesses are better than the industry average for light truck manufacturers. And even OSHA said that Rivian “has improved their safety and health team and are very cooperative with the OSHA process.”
Safety improvements are great, but they should happen before someone cracks their skull or allegedly vomits Rivian Blue bile. United Auto Workers has been trying to unionize Rivian plant employees for years now, which could help improve safety standards throughout the facility.
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