Troubling Safety Issues Unresolved in Boring Company Tunnels
Recent revelations have brought to light a series of troubling safety violations within the tunnels of The Boring Company, led by Elon Musk. Workers have reported severe chemical burns, yet regulatory actions remain stalled. Concerns are growing over Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo’s handling of the situation, as his administration faces criticism for not holding the company accountable.
Despite reports of up to 20 workers suffering injuries, Lombardo’s administration has not appointed enough members to the OSHA review board to address these issues promptly. This deficit has resulted in a backlog, allowing The Boring Company to delay necessary safety reforms.
Former federal OSHA administrator Jordan Barab has expressed concern over the administration’s approach, particularly regarding the unresolved cases involving firefighters who suffered burns. Barab stated, “We need to be able to understand why OSHA completely eliminated the violations.” He emphasized the gravity of political influences potentially affecting the process, questioning the lack of explanations for the removal of citations.
Incomplete Resolutions
The situation dates back to 2023 when workers in The Boring Company’s Las Vegas tunnels began reporting chemical burns to Nevada OSHA. These incidents predate similar injuries reported by Clark County firefighters. However, the citations issued in response to these reports remain unresolved due to the backlog, and the company has not been compelled to implement changes.
A June 6, 2023, log detailed several hazards: employees suffered chemical burns while connecting hoses to burrowing machines, with no showers available for decontamination, leading to continued exposure to mining waste. OSHA’s investigation resulted in eight serious citations with fines totaling $112,504, which The Boring Company is contesting.
Backlog and Delays
In the last year, half of the scheduled OSHA Review Board meetings were canceled, leaving two board vacancies open. Consequently, chemical burn reports continued to appear in OSHA’s logs through November 2023. By the end of 2024, similar injuries were reported among firefighters, leading to new citations against The Boring Company. Initially, these fines amounted to over $400,000 but were later dropped entirely.
Barab has raised further concerns about the handling of citations related to the 2024 firefighter injuries. His criticism extends to a recent report from the Federal Branch of OSHA, which he believes overlooks significant questions. “It’s just kind of a joke,” Barab remarked, pointing to the serious allegations of political influence and the unexplained disappearance of documents. He continued, “It’s kind of unbelievable that such a short and superficial report would be issued based on the allegations that we’ve seen.”
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