Jan. 7, 2026 — Redmond, Washington An investigative report published today by InvestigateWest revealed that a Starshield production lab at SpaceX’s Redmond campus in the Redmond Ridge Business Park exposed about 50 unsuspecting customer support workers to hazardous chemicals—including lead dust at 18 times state and federal limits, carcinogenic formaldehyde, and reproductive toxin D4 siloxane in silicone adhesives—from 2023 into 2025.
Shared ventilation systems and propped-open doors between the lab and adjacent office and break areas allowed fumes and dust to spread, leading to worker symptoms such as headaches, eye irritation and swelling, dizziness, hospitalizations, and at least one miscarriage, according to over 1,700 pages of public records from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I), interviews with former workers, and expert analysis cited in the report.
SpaceX internal safety audits in October and November 2023 identified issues like poor ventilation, but delayed corrective actions until just before an L&I inspection on Dec. 17, 2024, the InvestigateWest investigation found.
L&I issued three citations in February 2025, including a $6,000 fine for lead violations, which SpaceX appealed. The appeal documents are available via DocumentCloud, as linked in the report.
Workers who complained about the exposures, including Douglas Altshuler and Melissa Kiss, were fired in early 2025, allegedly in retaliation, per the InvestigateWest reporting.
This incident fits a broader pattern of safety issues at the Redmond Starlink facility. In April 2025, the San Antonio Express-News reported federal OSHA citations for five violations and $18,000 in fines, including exposing 58 workers to lead, failing to clean lead accumulations, and using a breakroom toaster oven to cure parts. Redmond had more violations than all other SpaceX sites combined, with prior citations in 2024.
In May 2025, The Independent covered Altshuler’s lawsuit alleging chemical exposure that led to medical leave, bathroom monitoring due to Crohn’s disease, and witnessing parts dried in a kitchen oven, linking to the toaster incident.
Earlier, a 2023 Reuters investigation highlighted unreported injuries across SpaceX sites, including Redmond, where injury rates matched industry averages amid underreporting concerns. Separate 2021 L&I complaints at another Redmond building involved paint thinners, but found no violations.
Nationally, SpaceX was cited on the 2024 “Dirty Dozen” list by the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health for reckless practices, such as chemical burns, according to the InvestigateWest report.
Employee reviews on Indeed have mentioned a “toxic” culture, ergonomic issues, and chemical exposure at the Redmond Starlink site, though predating this specific lab story.
SpaceX’s appeal of the L&I citations is pending before the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals, with an outcome expected before summer 2026.
