Policy & Regulation
OSHA probes Rivian warehouse after worker death
The US federal workplace safety regulator has opened an investigation into the death of a worker at a Rivian warehouse, a probe that could take up to six months.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the US federal workplace safety regulator, has opened an investigation into the death of a worker at a Rivian warehouse in Illinois. The agency told TechCrunch on Friday that the probe could take up to six months. Local authorities identified the deceased worker as 61-year-old Kevin Lancaster. Lancaster reportedly died from “blunt traumatic compressional injuries” after getting pinned between a tractor trailer and a loading dock at the facility. According to a local news report, Lancaster was trapped in that spot for around 20 minutes on Thursday before firefighters were able to reach him. Emergency crews responded to a call at 1:40 p.m. local time, and Lancaster was pronounced dead at a local medical center at 2:33 p.m. local time. The Normal Police Department and the McLean County Coroner are also investigating Lancaster’s death.
In a statement to TechCrunch, Rivian said, “Safety at our facilities is our top priority. Unfortunately yesterday afternoon, a contractor passed away after an incident at our warehouse.” The company added that its sympathy and thoughts are with the worker’s family and friends, and noted that it is working with the Normal Police Department on its investigation.
The federal safety probe follows previous scrutiny of Rivian’s manufacturing operations. The safety of Rivian’s factory in Normal, Illinois, became a source of scrutiny in 2024 after a Bloomberg News report detailed 16 “serious” violations levied on the company across that year and the one prior. However, the company has received only one violation at the Illinois manufacturing plant since that report was published. OSHA told Bloomberg at the time that Rivian had improved its safety and health team and was very cooperative with the regulatory process.
The incident occurs as Rivian continues to scale its manufacturing footprint. The company currently assembles vehicles at its 4.3-million-square-foot factory in Normal, Illinois. Rivian is expanding the facility by an additional 1.1 million square feet to accommodate future production. Once the expansion is complete, the factory is expected to have an assembly capacity of 215,000 vehicles.
Why it matters
The OSHA investigation follows previous scrutiny regarding safety violations at Rivian’s manufacturing facilities, highlighting the ongoing operational challenges for the electric vehicle maker as it scales production.