Occupational Safety and Health Administration has opened an investigation into the death of a worker at a warehouse operated by Rivian in Illinois.
The federal agency confirmed Friday that the probe could take up to six months to complete.
Worker Died After Being Pinned Between Truck And Loading Dock
Local authorities identified the worker as 61-year-old Kevin Lancaster.
According to reports, Lancaster died from blunt traumatic compressional injuries after becoming trapped between a tractor trailer and a loading dock at the facility.
The warehouse is located near Rivian’s manufacturing plant in Normal, Illinois.
Emergency crews responded to a call at about 1:40 p.m. local time on Thursday. Lancaster was reportedly trapped for around 20 minutes before firefighters were able to reach him. He was transported to a nearby medical center and pronounced dead at 2:33 p.m.
Authorities from the Normal Police Department and the McLean County Coroner are also investigating the incident.
Rivian Responds To Incident
In a statement, Rivian said the worker was a contractor and expressed condolences to the family.
“Safety at our facilities is our top priority. Unfortunately yesterday afternoon, a contractor passed away after an incident at our warehouse,” the company said. “Our sympathy and thoughts are with their family and friends. We are working with the Normal Police Department on its investigation.”
Factory Safety Previously Scrutinized
The safety record at Rivian’s Normal facility drew attention in 2024 after a report by Bloomberg News found the company had received 16 serious safety violations across 2023 and 2024.
However, Rivian has received only one violation at the Illinois manufacturing plant since that report was published.
OSHA previously said the company had improved its safety and health practices and had cooperated with regulators.
Major Production Hub For Rivian Vehicles
Rivian produces several electric vehicles at its 4.3-million-square-foot factory in Normal, including the R1 pickup truck, the R1 SUV, and the commercial electric delivery van known as the EDV.
The company is currently expanding the site by an additional 1.1 million square feet to support production of its upcoming R2 electric vehicle.
Once the expansion is complete, the factory is expected to have capacity to assemble up to 215,000 vehicles per year.
Featured image credits: Flickr
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