Injury rates at Elon Musk's SpaceX abnormally high

STORY: Injury rates at Elon Musk’s rocket firm SpaceX continue to be abnormally high by industry standards.

That’s according to a Reuters review of safety data reported to regulators.

The figures show that a company plant in Brownsville, Texas reported 5.9 injuries per 100 workers in 2023.

That’s up on the previous year, and more than seven times the industry average.

A unit that retrieves rocket boosters from the ocean reported a number nine times the average.

The company’s high injury rate was the subject of a Reuters investigation last year.

It found at least 600 previously unreported incidents.

Those resulted in crushed limbs, amputations, serious head injuries and one death.

SpaceX didn’t respond to a request for comment on the new report.

Company Chief Executive Gwynne Shotwell has previously said that the safety of astronauts and personnel is Musk’s “highest priority”.

But industry experts say the high injury rates should be a concern for the firm’s clients, including NASA, which increasingly relies on SpaceX.

One said the numerous accidents could be an indicator of poor production quality.