Workers at Elon Musk’s Company Report Chemical Burns from Toxic Mud
Elon Musk’s Boring Company has been the subject of reports detailing severe working conditions where employees faced chemical burns from toxic sludge.
These incidents occurred during the construction of tunnels in Las Vegas, highlighting the risks that workers have been exposed to. According to Bloomberg, some of the chemical burns were so severe that employees described the sensation as being “on fire.”
Boring Company’s Vision
Launched in 2016, Elon Musk’s Boring Company embarked on an ambitious journey to transform urban transportation, aiming to alleviate traffic with an innovative underground transit system. Envisioning a future where the Hyperloop becomes a reality, Musk’s goal is to enable rapid, efficient, and autonomous travel beneath our cities.
![View from inside a large, circular concrete tunnel looking out towards the Encore Hotel in Las Vegas during sunset](https://images.savvydime.com/2024/02/b8abbbc9-untitled-design-15.jpg)
Source: boringcompany/X
With over $795 million raised from top-tier venture capital firms, the company’s vision is backed by significant financial investment, reflecting a bold bet on its groundbreaking potential.
Exhaustive Working Hours Under Harsh Conditions
Bloomberg reports that the construction of the Las Vegas tunnel by The Boring Company involved workers enduring 12-hour shifts, which included lunch breaks spent underground.
![Aerial view of a construction site featuring a large, partially buried cylindrical tunneling segment in the center of a cleared dirt area](https://images.savvydime.com/2024/02/2e5110b4-untitled-design-4.jpg)
Source: boringcompany/X
The conditions were made even more challenging by the high temperatures, sometimes exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Expansion Project Raises Safety Concerns
The Boring Company’s Las Vegas tunnel project, aimed at connecting the Las Vegas Convention Center to other key locations, led to some workers wading through two feet of mud containing harmful chemicals.
![A ground-level view of the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino, a tall white building with the hotel's name in large yellow letters at the top. In the foreground, segments of curved concrete structures are scattered on the ground, part of a Boring Co. construction project](https://images.savvydime.com/2024/02/cbe89964-untitled-design-7.jpg)
Source: boringcompany/X
This exposure resulted in chemical burns, with workers expressing fear for their safety due to the hazardous working conditions they encountered.
Lasting Injuries and Safety Violations
Following an investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), it was revealed that the exposure to toxic substances in the tunnel had left some employees with lasting scars.
![Aerial view of an expansive construction site with various pieces of tunneling equipment and temporary office units. In the center, a large white cylindrical structure, possibly a segment of a tunneling machine, is visible. The area is scattered with construction machinery, portable buildings, and materials](https://images.savvydime.com/2024/02/cff06391-untitled-design-8.jpg)
Source: SERobinsonJr/X
The investigation highlighted the serious nature of the chemical hazards present at the site, as detailed in Bloomberg’s reporting.
Dangerous Incidents at Construction Site
The Boring Company’s tunnel construction site has seen its share of perilous incidents, including close calls that could have resulted in severe injuries or fatalities.
![A large metallic cylindrical tunneling machine component is being hoisted by a yellow mobile crane labeled "GROVE". Workers in high-visibility clothing oversee the operation on a construction site, surrounded by various industrial tools and equipment](https://images.savvydime.com/2024/02/cdba780f-untitled-design-9.jpg)
Source: boringcompany/X
Throughout a six-month span in 2023, The Boring Company reported thirty-six injuries at its construction sites to the OSHA.. These injuries varied widely, encompassing heat exhaustion, contusions to knees and heads, and more severe cases like crushed elbows or hands.
OSHA's Intervention and Company's Response
After identifying eight “serious” violations at the construction site, OSHA imposed a fine of $112,504 on The Boring Company.
![Two construction workers in high-visibility vests and hard hats are seated on a platform inside a vast, illuminated tunnel](https://images.savvydime.com/2024/02/9e5de775-untitled-design-10.jpg)
Source: Wikimedia Commons
However, the company contested these findings, challenging OSHA’s claims and the established violations.
Musk's Vision Versus Worker Safety
Elon Musk’s ambition to revolutionize transportation with underground tunnels in Las Vegas has faced scrutiny due to the working conditions reported.
![Elon Musk, dressed in a dark suit and white shirt, stands confidently on a stage. To his left, there is a partial view of a white robot](https://images.savvydime.com/2024/02/8d9a4cf5-untitled-design-11.jpg)
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Despite the innovative goals, the safety of workers has emerged as a significant issue, with reports of hazardous environments during the construction process.
Urgent Plea for Safety
In a distressing email to safety manager Wayne Merideth, a Boring Company employee from Bastrop, Texas, expressed deep concerns about the perilous conditions at the worksite.
![View from within a tunnel looking towards the illuminated interior of a tunnel boring machine at night](https://images.savvydime.com/2024/02/04a8737b-untitled-design-12.jpg)
Source: Wikimedia Commons
The employee wrote “I feel that the company as a whole has been very fortunate these past few months that there hasn’t been a fatality,” in the email, later seen by Fortune.
A Close Call Underground: Equipment Failure and Fear
“Six of 12 passive articulation cylinders… failed while he was inside it,” the employee detailed, expressing a chilling account of mechanical failure that could have had fatal consequences.
![A disassembled tunnel boring machine's head is captured up close, with its intricate cutting wheels and gears visible against a dramatic sunset sky](https://images.savvydime.com/2024/02/501737d3-untitled-design-13.jpg)
Source: boringcompany/X
This alarming equipment malfunction inside the tunneling machinery put the employee in immediate danger, demonstrating a serious lack of maintenance or warning protocols.
A Safety Manager's Struggle
Merideth, in his role as safety manager, faced immense challenges in addressing the safety complaints that came his way, including the dire warnings from the Bastrop site employee.
![A massive, rusted segment of a tunnel boring machine is being transported on a multi-wheeled platform in an urban setting. Workers in safety gear are visible around the machinery, with the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino towering in the background](https://images.savvydime.com/2024/02/b7f27024-untitled-design-14.jpg)
Source: boringcompany/X
“The conditions they were told to work in were honestly almost unbearable,” he recounted, painting a picture of a work environment fraught with hazards and a company culture that may have neglected crucial safety standards. Despite his efforts to ameliorate these conditions, Merideth found himself hampered by an organizational hierarchy resistant to change.
Disputing Safety Violations
In response to the fines and violations cited by OSHA, The Boring Company has taken a stance of contestation.
![A group of construction workers, equipped with helmets and reflective gear, stand at the far end of a newly completed tunnel](https://images.savvydime.com/2024/02/cd3a11a6-untitled-design-2.jpg)
Source: boringcompany/X
The company disputes the claims made by OSHA, arguing against the established violations and the narrative of unsafe working conditions.