Rivian Under Scrutiny As Employees Allege Safety Breach At Illinois Plant

Anusuya Lahiri
2 min read
5
In this article:

  • At least a dozen employees at Rivian Automotive, Inc (NASDAQ: RIVN) accused the electric-vehicle maker of safety violations at its Illinois plant, Bloomberg reports.

  • The complaints filed with federal regulators allege the company ignored known hazards and deprioritized safety resources, leaving some workers to share respirators needed during the manufacturing process.

  • They also detail a range of injuries, including a crushed hand, a broken foot, a sliced ear, and broken ribs.

  • Also Read: Amid Heat On Workplace Safety Issues, Amazon Loses Workplace Safety Head

  • The management reportedly fished damaged electrical cables out of the garbage and told employees to use them.

  • Some employees described safety protocols that faded as production pressures grew on its trademark plug-in pickup truck.

  • A Rivian spokesperson disputed workers' allegations.

  • Several employees filed the allegations over the past two months with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, targeting the automaker's only operational plant in Normal, Illinois.

  • All 12 employees, one of whom has since left Rivian, filed their complaints in coordination with the United Auto Workers union, which has been trying to organize Rivian plant workers over the past year.

  • Several complaints describe hazards that did not result in injury but that employees feared would.

  • In a short period, Irvine, Rivian has recruited an army of engineers, vehicle assembly technicians, and factory floor managers from names like Ford and General Motors Co (NYSE: GM), mostly at its flagship plant in Normal.

  • Rivian also hired top talent from Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) and Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL) as part of a push to scale up and produce mass-market electric vehicles.

  • OSHA currently has open investigations into seven complaints at the Normal plant.

  • Some workers said they had notified management about their concerns before filing complaints with federal regulators.

  • Rivian has spent millions of dollars on safety and has a team of more than 70 safety, health, and environmental professionals, a spokesperson said.

  • Price Action: RIVN shares closed lower by 4.06% at $29.11 on the last check Monday.

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