OSHA probing fatality at Rivian warehouse

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration 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 probe could take up to six months.

The man, identified by local authorities as 61-year-old Kevin Lancaster, reportedly died from “blunt traumatic compressional injuries” after getting pinned between a tractor trailer and a loading dock at the facility, which is located just a few miles from Rivian’s factory.

Lancaster was reportedly trapped in that spot for around 20 minutes on Thursday before firefighters were able to get to him, according to one local news report. Emergency crews responded to a call at 1:40 p.m. local time, and Lancaster was pronounced dead at a local medical center at 2:33 p.m. local time. The Normal Police Department and the McLean County Coroner are still investigating Lancaster’s death, according to the report.

“Safety at our facilities is our top priority. Unfortunately yesterday afternoon, a contractor passed away after an incident at our warehouse,” Rivian said in a statement to TechCrunch. “Our sympathy and thoughts are with their family and friends. We are working with the Normal Police Department on its 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 on the company across that year and the one prior.

Automotive factories are notoriously dangerous, though, and Rivian has received just one violation at the Illinois manufacturing plant since that report was published. OSHA even told Bloomberg at the time that Rivian “has improved their safety and health team and are very cooperative with the OSHA process.”

Rivian assembles its flagship R1 pickup truck, R1 SUV, and commercial electric van, known as the 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 complete, the factory will have capacity to assemble 215,000 vehicles.

This story has been updated with a comment from Rivian.