The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has opened an investigation into the death of a worker at a Rivian warehouse in Illinois this week, the federal agency told TechCrunch on Friday. The agency said the investigation could take up to six months.
The man, identified by local authorities as 61-year-old Kevin Lancaster, died of “blunt blunt force trauma” after being pinned between a tractor trailer and a loading dock at the facility, which is located just a few miles from Rivian’s plant.
Lancaster was reportedly trapped in that spot for about 20 minutes Thursday before firefighters were able to reach him. according to a local report. Emergency crews responded to a call at 1:40 p.m. local time and Lancaster was pronounced dead at a local medical center at 2:33 p.m. local time. The Normal Police Department and the McLean County Coroner are still investigating Lancaster’s death, according to the report.
“Safety at our facility is our number one priority. Unfortunately yesterday afternoon, a contractor died following an incident at our warehouse,” Rivian said in a statement to TechCrunch. “Our sympathies and thoughts are with their family and friends. We are working with the Normal Police Department on their investigation.”
The security of the Rivian plant in Normal, Illinois, became a source of control in 2024 after Bloomberg News report detailing 16 “serious” offenses imposed on the company during the year and the previous year.
However, auto factories are notoriously dangerous, and Rivian has received only one breach at its Illinois manufacturing plant since this report was published. OSHA even told Bloomberg at the time that Rivian “has improved its safety and health team and is very cooperative with the OSHA process.”
Rivian assembles its flagship R1 pickup truck, R1 SUV and commercial electric van, known as the EDV, at its 4.3 million square foot plant in Normal. The company is expanding the space by another 1.1 million square feet to make room for its next EV, the R2. Once completed, the plant will have the capacity to assemble 215,000 vehicles.
Techcrunch event
San Francisco, California
|
13-15 October 2026
This story has been updated with a comment from Rivian.
