Elon Musk's tunnel-making venture, The Boring Company, has faced scrutiny over alleged worker safety violations in Nevada, according to a new report.
Worker Safety Issues Allegedly Committed by Elon Musk's The Boring Company
While there have been no reported fatalities among The Boring Company workers in the state, the Bloomberg Businessweek report sheds light on various concerns, such as prolonged working hours, insufficient personal protective gear, equipment malfunctions, and instances of burns.
Gizmodo noted that the investigative report focuses heavily on a construction site that will connect the Las Vegas Convention Center to the Encore and the Westgate hotels.
Burns on Workers of Elon Musk's The Boring Company Became 'Almost Routine'
Documents from Nevada's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) office, acquired by Bloomberg through a state open records request, showed that workers are exposed to hazards that could cause physical harm.
The Bloomberg report cited a toxic sludge capable of burning human skin that workers had to navigate, and the burns on workers became "almost routine," with some "being scarred permanently on their arms and legs."
The report further noted that employees interviewed by the investigators last summer said an intern "was nearly crushed when a bin made out of two-ton concrete blocks collapsed." The employees also said it had been overloaded with muck, and the metal brackets holding it together gave way, sending the intern running.
Overall, Bloomberg reported that the OSHA found eight violations the agency categorized as "serious" and fined The Boring Company a total of $112,504 last fall.
The Boring Company, which grew out of Musk's ambition to devise transportation alternatives to alleviate traffic congestion, was launched in 2016. The tech billionaire announced his plans for the Loop transportation system in 2018, which include a concept animation of a vehicle that could carry 16 passengers.
In response, The Boring Company's legal team disagreed with the OSHA citations, saying in a letter to the agency that "Nevada OSHA has failed to establish that the alleged violations occurred," according to the Bloomberg report.
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