Current:Home > ContactBehind your speedy Amazon delivery are serious hazards for workers, government finds -TradeWisdom
Behind your speedy Amazon delivery are serious hazards for workers, government finds
View
Date:2025-04-16 09:03:14
Federal safety inspectors have concluded that the twisting, bending and long reaches that Amazon warehouse workers perform as much as nine times per minute put them at high risk for lower back injuries and other musculoskeletal disorders and constitute an unacceptable hazard.
As part of a larger investigation into hazardous working conditions, the Occupational Safety and and Health Administration announced on Wednesday it has cited Amazon for failing to keep workers safe at warehouses in Deltona, Florida; Waukegan, Illinois; and New Windsor, New York.
"While Amazon has developed impressive systems to make sure its customers' orders are shipped efficiently and quickly, the company has failed to show the same level of commitment to protecting the safety and wellbeing of its workers," said Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker.
The e-commerce giant faces a total of $60,269 in proposed penalties, the maximum allowable for a violation of the General Duty Clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which requires employers to provide a workplace free from recognized hazards.
Amazon has 15 days to contest OSHA's findings.
"We take the safety and health of our employees very seriously, and we strongly disagree with these allegations and intend to appeal," said Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel in a statement.
"Our publicly available data show we've reduced injury rates nearly 15% between 2019 and 2021," Nantel added. "What's more, the vast majority of our employees tell us they feel our workplace is safe."
Parker noted that willful or repeated violations by an employer can lead to higher penalties. He said that there are no ergonomic-related violations in Amazon's history that put the company on track for the "severe violator program," but with further inspections, that could change.
In December, OSHA cited Amazon for more than a dozen recordkeeping violations, including failing to report injuries, as part of the same investigation.
Inspectors compared DART rates — days away from work, job restrictions or transfers — across the warehouse industry and at Amazon facilities, and found the rates were unusually high at the three Amazon warehouses.
At the Amazon fulfillment center in Waukegan, Illinois, where workers handle packages in excess of 50 pounds, the DART rate was nearly double the DART rate for the industry in general, and at the Amazon facilities in New York and Florida, it was triple.
The DART rate for the industry in general was 4.7 injuries per 100 workers per year in 2021, Parker said.
Inspectors also found that workers are at risk of being struck by falling materials unsafely stored at heights of 30 feet or higher at the Florida facility.
Should the government prevail, Amazon would be required not only to pay the fines but also to correct the violations, which Parker noted, could result in significant investments in re-engineering their processes to provide workers with a safer working environment.
Editor's note: Amazon is among NPR's recent financial supporters.
veryGood! (781)
Related
- Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie return for an 'Encore,' reminisce about 'The Simple Life'
- The Excerpt podcast: Can Beyoncé convince country music she belongs?
- Horoscopes Today, February 22, 2024
- AT&T outage just a preview of what can happen when cell service goes out: How to prepare
- FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
- More than half of college graduates are working in jobs that don't require degrees
- Judge in Trump fraud case denies request to pause $354 million judgment
- Podcaster Bobbi Althoff and Ex Cory Settle Divorce 2 Weeks After Filing
- Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
- Atlanta is the only place in US to see pandas for now. But dozens of spots abroad have them
Ranking
- Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
- Remakes take over Nintendo Direct: Epic Mickey and Mother 3, plus Star Wars and more
- Meet the cast of Netflix's 'Avatar The Last Airbender' live action series
- Wendy Williams' Medical Diagnosis: Explaining Primary Progressive Aphasia and Frontotemporal Dementia
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- Atlanta is the only place in US to see pandas for now. But dozens of spots abroad have them
- Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s Love Is Burning Red at Sydney Eras Tour in Australia
- Some people are slicing their shoes apart to walk barefoot in public. What's going on?
Recommendation
Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
Rob Kardashian Returns to Instagram With Rare Social Media Message
Metal detectorist finds 1,400-year-old gold ring likely owned by royal family: Surreal
MLB players miffed at sport’s new see-through pants, relaying concerns to league
Meta releases AI model to enhance Metaverse experience
Wendy Williams diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia and frontotemporal dementia
MLB players miffed at sport’s new see-through pants, relaying concerns to league
On decades-old taped call, Eagles manager said ‘pampered rock star’ was stalling band biography