Photo taken June 24, 2021 on site of Starbase, Boca Chica, Tx where Space X’s Starbase test collapsed into bankruptcy. That event represented a watershed moment for the company. Workers scramble to carry out cleanup efforts following a Starship explosion. This crash occurred just four days later. The subsequent inspection by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found seven willful and serious violations of workplace safety.
The crane that collapsed was a Grove RT9150E. It had recently gotten some new track work and was only recently back in service. On the day of the incident, only one employee was responsible for operating the crane to lift debris. Simultaneously, a third worker was operating the excavator’s bucket to check the ground. Eyewitness video shot by LabPadre showed the crane buckling from the impact of a large piece of the exploded Starship. This moving scene further emphasized the depth of the crisis.
OSHA played a role, opening its investigation the very next day after the crane collapsed. The agency’s conclusions pointed to a number of troubling circumstances surrounding the accident. Proudly, the Grove RT9150E crane showed lots of mechanical failure starting with a computer that refused to boot until you pressed it three times. These facts call into question the maintenance due diligence performed on equipment before it was put into service.
In fact, SpaceX is under fire from all angles these days, punctuated by an ongoing lawsuit against the company. This legal challenge is brought by an employee of a subcontractor. This worker claimed that they had been crushed by a 300 lb metal support dropped from a crane in December of 2024. Incidents like these have increased alarm regarding workplace safety at SpaceX. That concern has grown as the company quickly accelerates the expansion of its East Coast launch complex. CEO Elon Musk has established highly ambitious goals in terms of producing thousands of Starship rockets per year, increasing operational stresses even further.
Earlier this year, a 2023 report from Reuters revealed a pattern of serious injuries in the workplace at the facility. It uncovered dozens of previously unreported injuries and documented at least one employee death in the last ten years. This information has led to a renewed focus on safety practices at SpaceX, particularly in the wake of the incidents described above.
The unfolding disaster of the crane collapse on June 24 at a Miami construction site reveals deeper concerns about equipment maintenance and operation. It does so while raising critical questions about the organization’s workplace safety culture. Retaliation OSHA’s serious violations have the potential to bring more oversight and penalties down on SpaceX’s head.