OSHA probing fatality at Rivian warehouse

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has launched an investigation into the death of a worker at a Rivian warehouse in Illinois. The incident occurred when 61-year-old Kevin Lancaster was reportedly pinned between a tractor trailer and a loading dock, suffering blunt traumatic compressional injuries. Emergency responders arrived at 1:40 p.m. local time on Thursday, but Lancaster was trapped for approximately 20 minutes before being freed and was later pronounced dead at a local medical center. It remains unclear whether Lancaster was employed directly by Rivian or a subcontractor. The investigation by OSHA could take up to six months. This fatality adds to ongoing scrutiny of Rivian’s safety record, particularly following a 2024 Bloomberg report that highlighted 16 serious safety violations at Rivian’s Illinois factory over 2019 and 2023. However, since that report, the company has received only one violation at the manufacturing plant and has reportedly improved its safety and health protocols. Rivian’s Normal, Illinois