this post was submitted on 24 Apr 2024
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[–] [email protected] 0 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (10 children)

SpaceX also launches more rockets than any other launch provider. What is the injury rate per mass-to-orbit? The Reuters report smells suspiciously like a hit piece.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

It is adjusted per capita, anything else is pretty meaningless.

The situation doesn’t appear to be improving. In 2023, the SpaceX facility in Brownsville, Texas, for example, reported an injury rate of 5.9 per 100 workers, a notable increase from 4.8 in 2022. Comparatively, the industry average remains significantly lower at 0.8 injuries per 100 workers, according to figures provided by Reuters.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I wonder how much of this increase is due to the current expansion at Starbase, which is very much an active construction site right now. I would be interested to see if these numbers go down once the facilities become more established.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 6 months ago

Ajajaja number go down after hard part, is like video game ajajaja I can afford you some missing fingers ajajaja

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago (2 children)

It's well known within the industry that SpaceX forces their employees to work excessive hours and in unsafe conditions. This is not a hit piece, and it's weird for you say that at all.

Pretty much all of Elon Musks companies have the same issue with overworked, underpaid employees.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I'd say "forces" is a bit strong wording. Most people at SpaceX genuinely love the mission and will work longer hours because it's almost a passion.

We're pretty well-compensated too.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 6 months ago (1 children)

You work longer hours until you're burned out. I've done it before. I also work for NASA and rarely work overtime, and the missions I support are doing just fine. It's not about being passionate, although I used to think the same thing. I would have done anything to further our missions in space. But guess what, you're being taken advantage of, whether you realize it or not.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

Totally valid, SpaceX doesn't do a great job of trying to manage burnout. On the other hand, I personally work 40-50 hours a week to avoid burnout and have suffered no ill effects from doing so.

You don't HAVE to work long hours here.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 6 months ago

The spacex fanbois don’t take to anti-elmo sentiments well.

SAD!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago (2 children)

What is the injury rate per mass-to-orbit?

Weird metric. So if SpaceX puts 10 tons in orbit and injures 10 people that should basically count the same as if ULA puts 1 ton in orbit and injures 1?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

So if SpaceX puts 10 tons in orbit and injures 10 people that should basically count the same as if ULA puts 1 ton in orbit and injures 1?

That's more or less what I was getting at. Is the metric that weird?

Building off of your example, suppose SpaceX puts 15 tons in orbit and injures 10 people, while ULA puts 1 tons in orbit and injures 1. If one wanted to launch 30 tons to orbit, what would the best decision be?

[–] [email protected] -1 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Yeah fuck it- let's just start doing all safety ratings by pounds-of-flesh per unit output for every industry.

"Your company had 10 deaths this year but you only made 7K tires... You'll need to make up the balance by producing 3K more tires before end of fiscal year or we'll have to fine you for safety violations." lol- twisted but could be a fun comedy premise.

Or wait- should we do output or actual sales? That would make more financial sense ;)

[–] [email protected] 0 points 6 months ago (1 children)

He's an Elon fanboi, in their world any amount of human suffering is fine as long as the profits keep coming in.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 6 months ago

He’s an Elon fanboi

I love the rockets, but have been very disappointed with his recent antics.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago (2 children)

RATE. Injury rate per person.

The only thing that matters is how many injuries happen per person. That's the whole point. Every company could increase output by sacrificing worker's health, but we as society strongly condemn that because that's truly fucked up.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

"Rate" doesn't necessarily mean per capita. It could easily mean an averaged total over time.

However, the linked Reuters source does clarify that the referenced "rate" is injury per 100 employees. So your intuition was correct.

Still, it's shitty journalism to leave that ambiguity. The Reuters article that it cites is far better.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

This is from the article, is it not clear enough?

In 2023, the SpaceX facility in Brownsville, Texas, for example, reported an injury rate of 5.9 per 100 workers, a notable increase from 4.8 in 2022. Comparatively, the industry average remains significantly lower at 0.8 injuries per 100 workers, according to figures provided by Reuters.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

You gotta keep in mind that spacex is more mass manufacturing things compared to legacy space.

They're aiming for 144 launches this year, that's 144 2nd stages. A second stage is being manufactured every 2.5 days.

Hundreds, if not thousands of satellites.

A better comparison would be to other manufacturers of this scale and complexity. Not someone who launches 2 rockets this years, maybe.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

No absofuckinglutely not. That's psychotic and you should feel like garbage for even thinking that. Being ok with more people being hurt and killed just so a company can churn out more product is vile.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

I never said I'm okay with people being injured, but it is FACT that injury rates change based off type of work.

No one in the space industry is mass manufacturing at the scale that SpaceX is so they are not a valid comparison.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

If space projects can't be done faster without pushing kids into the orphan crushing machine, then it shouldn't be done faster.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

Let me help your outraged mind understand this basic concept.

Lets say it takes 10 people to take a 2nd stage rocket from the loading bay, to the launch pad and get it mounted.

Lets say there are 1000 processes and safety checks to do this task, and 5% of the parts involved can only do the task 5 times before being inspected, replaced and/or refurbished for whatever reason.

SLS if I'm reading things right (I might be wrong) are going to launch ONCE in 2024.

That's 10 people doing 1000 processes with 0 part inspection or refurbishments required. (Edit: And they sit in an office for the rest of the year planning the next launch)

SpaceX with those same 10 people, because it only takes 10 people to do the task, are going to do 144 launches in 2024. Every 2.5 days they're going to move this thing.

That's 144,000 processes and safety checks, and 28.8 times that parts need to be monitored for wear and tear, refurbishment and replacements.

You don't think that there's a higher chance that those 10 people might do something wrong in those 144,000 times, or in one of the 28.8 inspections? That even if those 10 people did everything perfectly every single time, that maybe, a piece of hardware might fail unexpectedly?

You think those 10 people should have the exact same injury rate as the SLS people who did it once (edit: and then sat in an office the rest of the year)?

It's bonkers to think that.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

The bottom line is this: if your accelerated processes are causing more workers to get injured, then you need to slow down. You must not churn out a second stage every 2.5 days if it means more injuries per worker.
Your argument is that these workers are doing more dangerous tasks more often and therefore that raises the injury rate, right? Well then they should be doing fewer dangerous tasks, and less often, then.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 6 months ago

How about injuries per billion dollar CEO worth? Or injuries per roadster in orbit (Spoiler alert: SpaceX is really bad in this category)?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 6 months ago

How many injuries per Elon boot licks is that?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Your account smells suspiciously of bootlicking.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

I was about to check their history but just looking at the name is a dead giveaway.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 6 months ago

The "hit piece" that reports another company being run like absolute shit from the guy that is running a car company like shit, a space company like shit, a tube company that closed down and couldn't even come close to what was promised.

Am I missing something? Maybe it's a hit piece because the guy is a piece...of shit.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 6 months ago

This idiot thinks space junk is more important than human lives.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 6 months ago (2 children)

Lol the injuries are not due to rocket launches, they are due to manufacturing. So your metric has absolutely no meaning whatsoever.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

It seems like the metrics are for their whole operations, as the article highlights booster recoveries with most injuries.

That said, the tons to orbit are meaningless when we're talking about injuries per capita

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

Of course they are due to manufacturing (not launches), but SpaceX also manufactures and refurbishes more rockets than other launch providers. How is the metric meaningless?