The aircraft company faces scrutiny for at-work safety practices following Daniel Lessier’s death in Kansas in April.
WICHITA, Kan. — Regional leadership of the union at Boeing that represents engineers, maintenance and manufacturing staff called for an investigation into the death of 53-year-old aircraft mechanic Daniel Lussier, which occurred after the man fell through a structure at a manufacturing facility in Wichita, Kan., April 22.
The calls come amid rising concerns with safety protocols at the aircraft company nationwide.
“The concerns raised by Lussier’s coworkers cannot be ignored. Reports that workers had fallen through these crossbeams before, and that broader safety deficiencies exist throughout the facility, point to a systemic problem that requires a systemic response. Fixing one hazard while leaving others in place is not a safety plan,” said Craig Martin, general vice president of the Boeing engineers’ union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM).
On April 22, according to eyewitnesses, Lessier stepped on a crossbeam while working on an aircraft and fell through some floorboards at the facility. A colleague reported that Lessier landed on a beam on his stomach and chest. He suffered broken ribs and was hospitalized, but was released April 23. He died April 26.
An autopsy confirmed that Lessier’s death was caused by a pulmonary embolism, or blood clot, in his lungs, that was exacerbated by the fall at the Boeing facility, according to the union.
Lessier had been a member of IAM, for about 18 years and a staff member at Boeing for almost 20, according to Martin.
The union leader called for a full analysis of the safety precautions in place at the facility at the time of Lessier’s death, as well as transparency from the company about the incident in a statement May 8.
“Boeing must be held fully accountable, not only for what happened on April 22, but for the conditions that made it possible. We will have more to say as this investigation moves forward,” Martin said.
A Boeing spokesperson shared a statement with KING 5 in response to the union’s message.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our valued teammates. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and coworkers during this very difficult time and we will continue to support them. We continue to investigate last month’s workplace accident with a commitment to understand exactly what happened and take any actions to help prevent it in the future,” the spokesperson wrote.
The spokesperson added that Boeing prioritizes the safety of staff and products, including holding dedicated safety meetings with employees, reviewing workplace processes and sharing ideas for improvements to safety and quality in the workplace.
Between December 2020 and March 2024, about 32 whistleblower complaints were filed with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) against Boeing, per documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.
Fifteen of the complaints were concerned with a statute related to workplace safety. Two cases out of 32 were awarded financial restitution, but OSHA closed the rest without taking action.
In Everett, Boeing workers filed a class-action lawsuit April 6 that alleges the company did not adequately compensate workers for their time worked or training, and pressured staff to minimize their time away from work stations to unpaid rest breaks.
Workers were required to attend mandatory safety trainings during their lunch breaks, and were discouraged from using the restroom while on the clock, the lawsuit alleges.
About 5,000 staff members would be eligible for the suit.
Boeing leadership offered a statement to KING April 6, saying “we follow all local, state and federal employment laws.”
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