By ByteBot
A January 2026 investigation by InvestigateWest reveals SpaceX exposed more than 50 office workers at its Redmond, Washington Starlink lab to lead and cancer-linked chemicals for over a year—despite repeated internal safety warnings starting in October 2023. The lab, which handles lead-tin solder and toxic solvents, shared a ventilation system with an adjacent customer support office, circulating contaminated air to workers who had no protective equipment or knowledge of their exposure. State regulators found lead dust at 18 times the OSHA permissible limit and issued $6,000 in fines, but only after workers began reporting hospitalizations, swollen eyes, and at least one miscarriage.
14 Months from Warning to Action
SpaceX’s own safety managers documented inadequate ventilation and chemical exposure risks in October 2023. Nothing changed for 14 months. During this window, 50+ workers breathed contaminated air daily, resulting in documented health issues including hospitalizations and at least one confirmed miscarriage.
The timeline reveals calculated indifference, not oversight. In November 2023, safety managers noted “not sufficient” air circulation in the Starshield lab. By February 2024, workers began reporting eye irritation and headaches. However, it took until November 2024—when an employee was hospitalized for “unknown chemical exposure”—for Washington state labor regulators to intervene. December inspections found lead at 18 times OSHA’s permissible limit. Moreover, two workers who raised concerns, Douglas Altshuler and Melissa Kiss, were terminated in January 2025.
The economics are perverse: SpaceX saved $50,000-150,000 by not installing proper ventilation, exposed workers for 14 months, and will pay maybe $6,000 in fines (which they’re currently appealing). Safety violations pay.
A Pattern Across Musk Companies
This isn’t an isolated incident at one facility. The Redmond lab has more OSHA violations than any other SpaceX site despite being six times smaller than the main Hawthorne campus. That’s not a coincidence—it’s a symptom of systemic culture failure.
Across SpaceX facilities, a 2023 Reuters investigation found 600+ previously unreported workplace injuries since 2014, including eight amputations. Furthermore, at SpaceX Starbase, the Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) hits 4.27 injuries per 100 workers—2.67 times the aerospace industry average of 1.6. The pattern extends to Tesla, where 27 open OSHA cases total $300,000+ in fines. In August 2024, journeyman Victor Joe Gomez Sr. was electrocuted to death at Tesla’s Gigafactory. Additionally, one in 21 workers at that facility was injured in 2022.
The AFL-CIO’s April 2025 report puts it bluntly: “Under-trained staff, skipped safety procedures, unsafe conditions, pushback on safety recommendations. Musk didn’t want signs, anything yellow (like caution tape) or to wear safety shoes in the plant.” This isn’t one bad facility or one oversight. Consequently, it’s a documented pattern spanning a decade, multiple companies, and hundreds of injuries.
Lead, Carcinogens, and Unknown Compounds
Workers were exposed to lead-tin solder with lead dust at 18 times OSHA’s 50 µg/m³ limit, D4 siloxane (EU-classified as “very high concern” for fertility damage), formaldehyde in epoxy primer (known carcinogen), and four undisclosed chemicals labeled “toxic to reproduction.” SpaceX declined to reveal what the four compounds were.
Health effects documented by workers and regulators include eye irritation, headaches requiring hospitalization, allergic reactions, confirmed miscarriage, and long-term risks of neurological damage, cancer, and reproductive toxicity. Industrial hygienist Kevin Milani noted the obvious: “Any industrial area should have separate ventilation and definitely be closed off to break areas.” This isn’t cutting-edge rocket science—it’s Industrial Hygiene 101.
At least 32 complaints were filed with SpaceX management or L&I. Former employee Melissa Kiss, subsequently fired for raising concerns, stated: “Nothing was done even though there was ample evidence.” You can’t patch a miscarriage or rollback cancer exposure like a software bug. Unlike code defects, these consequences are permanent.
Why Safety Violations Pay
SpaceX faces minimal consequences: a $6,000 fine for exposing 58 workers to lead, slow enforcement (14 months from warning to citation), workers fired for reporting safety concerns, and mandatory arbitration agreements that prevent public lawsuits. The economics favor violations.
Proper ventilation systems cost $50,000-150,000 one-time. Nevertheless, SpaceX avoided that expense, exposed workers for over a year, and will pay maybe $6,000 in fines—which they’re appealing to the state Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals. Two employees who raised concerns were terminated in January 2025, creating a chilling effect where workers fear retaliation more than chemical exposure. Jessica Martinez, NCOSH Executive Director, characterized the situation as “quintessential profit over people. Corporate ambition is prioritized, and safety protocols are bypassed.”
The system is broken. Fines are too low to deter violations, enforcement is too slow to prevent harm, and mandatory arbitration shields companies from public accountability. Until fines are proportional to revenue and enforcement is swift, this pattern will continue across the tech industry’s hardware manufacturing operations.
Key Takeaways
- SpaceX knew about ventilation problems for 14 months (Oct 2023-Nov 2024) and chose not to act—this wasn’t ignorance, it was calculated indifference to worker safety in favor of cost savings.
- This is part of a documented pattern: 600+ SpaceX injuries since 2014, 27 Tesla OSHA cases, and injury rates 2.67 times the aerospace industry average across Musk-led companies.
- Workers were exposed to lead at 18 times safe limits, known carcinogens, and four undisclosed “toxic to reproduction” chemicals, resulting in hospitalizations and at least one confirmed miscarriage.
- Minimal accountability enables violations: $6,000 fines are cheaper than $150,000 ventilation fixes, workers who complain get fired, and mandatory arbitration prevents public lawsuits.
- “Move fast and break things” can’t apply to irreversible human harm—tech companies doing hardware manufacturing must recognize they’re subject to industrial safety regulations, not software iteration culture.
