OSHA is investigating deaths at the Rivian warehouse

OSHA has opened an investigation into the death of a worker at a Rivian warehouse in Illinois this week, the federal agency told TechCrunch on Friday. The agency said the investigation could take up to six months.

The man, identified by local authorities as 61-year-old Kevin Lancaster, reportedly died from acute compression injuries after being pinned between a tractor trailer and a loading dock at the facility, which is located a few miles from the Rivian factory.

Lancaster reportedly remained trapped there for about 20 minutes on Thursday before firefighters were able to reach him, according to a local news report. Emergency crews responded to a call at 1:40 PM local time, and Lancaster was pronounced dead at a local medical center at 2:33 PM local time. The regular police department and McLean County coroner are still investigating Lancaster’s death, according to the report.

“Safety in our facilities is our top priority,” Rivian said in a statement to TechCrunch. “Unfortunately, yesterday afternoon, a contractor died after an accident in our warehouse.” “Our sympathies and thoughts go out to their families and friends. We are working with the regular police department in their investigation.”

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 against the company during that year and the year before.

However, car factories are extremely dangerous, and Rivian has received only one violation at its Illinois manufacturing plant since this report was published. OSHA even told Bloomberg at the time that Rivian “has improved its safety and health team and is very cooperative with the OSHA process.”

Rivian assembles its flagship R1 pickup truck, R1 SUV and electric commercial van, known as EDV, at its 4.3 million-square-foot factory in Normal. The company is expanding the space by another 1.1 million square feet to make room for its next EV, the R2. Once completed, the plant will have the capacity to assemble 215,000 vehicles.

This story has been updated with comment from Rivian.