Amazon is allegedly violating safety laws by not keeping workers safe in its three warehouses during work hours. The company could receive a high penalty that reaches up to $60,000, much higher compared to many of the ones faced by the authorities before.
ROMEOVILLE, IL - AUGUST 01: Workers pack and ship customer orders at the 750,000-square-foot Amazon fulfillment center on August 1, 2017 in Romeoville, Illinois. On August 2, Amazon will be holding job fairs at several fulfillment centers around the country, including the Romeoville facility, in an attempt to hire more than 50,000 workers. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Scott Olson/Getty Images
(Photo : Scott Olson/Getty Images) ROMEOVILLE, IL - AUGUST 01: Workers pack and ship customer orders at the 750,000-square-foot Amazon fulfillment center on August 1, 2017 in Romeoville, Illinois. On August 2, Amazon will be holding job fairs at several fulfillment centers around the country, including the Romeoville facility, in an attempt to hire more than 50,000 workers.
Violating Safety Laws
The Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a citation against Amazon for violating company safety laws. As per the press release, three warehouses were inspected, located in Deltona, Florida, Waukegan, Illinois, and New Windsor, New York.
Workers were exposed to ergonomic, struck-by hazards in the locations, as per OSHA. This could put them at high risk for lower back injuries and other disorders for musculoskeletal.
OSHA Assistant Secretary Doug Parker said that Amazon wrongly set the pace for its employees in the mentioned warehouses. He added that the company prioritizes shipping packages as "each of these inspections found work processes that were designed for speed but not safety."
In proposed penalties, NPR reported that Amazon is currently facing a total of $60,269, which is the maximum allowable for a violation of the General Duty Clause of OSHA. This requires employers to provide a safe and free-hazard zone workplace.
Amazon was given 15 days to contest the authorities' findings.
Amazon's Response
Despite the evidence, Amazon stands on its ground and does not agree with these latest allegations from the department. Spokesperson Kelly Nantel stated on behalf of the company that they are taking the safety and health of their employees very seriously, and they will intend to appeal.
She argued that the company cooperated fully with the laws and claimed that the government's allegations do not reflect the reality of safety in their warehouses.
Aside from this, Nantel cited the improvements in the company's injury rates between 2019 and 2021, where she stated that "we look forward to sharing more during our appeal about the numerous safety innovations, process improvements, and investments we're making to further reduce injuries."
Previous Citations
Amazon received citations for 14-record-keeping violations last year, as the company failed to record and misclassify injuries and illnesses within the required time and failed to provide the department with records. The Verge reported that these come with proposed fines of around $29,008.
In 2015, Amazon also received a citation for failing to properly work-related injuries and illnesses. The company also received a handful citations in 2020 related to COVID-19 cases.
Amazon Warehouse Worker in San Antonio Daniel Olayiwola released a statement via the activist group Athena Coalition and said, "OSHA's findings are a reflection of the experience of Amazon workers like me in warehouses all over the country."
Aside from the mentioned warehouses above, the Department of Labor's OSHA will conduct investigations at three other Amazon warehouses in Aurora, Colorado, Nampa, Idaho, and Castleton, New York.
