Amazon may be fined for hazardous warehouse conditions

By Daphne Howland | January 13, 2016

Dive Brief:

• The Occupational Safety & Health Administration Tuesday cited Amazon Fulfillment Service for 26 instances of injury and illness on the job it found during a July inspection, which includes cases of “fall, noise, electrical and amputation hazards; and the lack of personal protective equipment.” In December it issued an “other-than-serious” citation and an “ergonomic-related hazard-alert” letter, and on Jan. 7 the agency issued a “medical-related hazard-alert letter.”
• Amazon received hazard-alert letters because it “exposed employees to ergonomic risk factors including stress from repeated bending at the waist and repeated exertions, and standing during entire shifts up to 10 hours, four days a week and sometimes including mandatory overtime shifts. Also, the on-site medical unit provided medical care beyond what is allowed by their licensing and certification, without the supervision of a board certified qualified medical professional licensed to practice independently,” according to OSHA’s complaint.
• The agency is recommending a $7,000 fine in addition to correction of the circumstances that led to the citations. The company has 15 days to comply with or contest the citation.
• Amazon spokesperson Aaron Toso told Retail Dive in an email: "We take safety very seriously, we do not agree with the findings and will be contesting the citation.”
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Dive Insight:

Amason is hardly new to criticism of its warehouse working conditions.These notices from OSHA suggest that work environment remains a tough one. And with pressure to continue, if not best, its speedy fulfillment record while keeping costs low and Amazon predicted to see healthy growth for yet another year, such conditions could continue.

As Amazon, along with the likes of Uber, continue to grow and redefine fulfillment, a central question remains about the on-demand economy: How fair is it if “disruption” in delivery or retail (or any space for that matter) means competing on lower prices that depend on either brutal working conditions, or poor pay, or both?

It’s one thing to leverage new technology to increase speed and efficiency. But expecting workers to meet high demands without adequate pay or safety is actually nothing new or innovative.

"Failure to properly record occupational illnesses and injuries is hazardous to workers,” Paula Dixon-Roderick, director of OSHA's Marlton Area Office, said in a statement. "The lack of accurate data can mask patterns of injuries and illnesses that could help uncover conditions with the potential of putting workers at risk. In addition to keeping accurate records, Amazon should address the potential dangers identified in the hazard-alert letters to ensure the safety and health of its fulfillment center employees."