Workers' Compensation: Senate Blasts Amazon Over High Injury Rates

According to an interim investigation report by Senator Bernie Sanders and the Senate HELP Committee into Amazon's warehouse safety practices, warehouse workers continue to suffer excessive occupational injuries. The report focuses on peak seasons like Prime Day and the holiday season.

Internal Amazon data reveals significantly higher injury rates during these peak periods: During Prime Day 2019, the recordable injury rate was over 10 injuries per 100 workers, more than double the industry average.

UNSAFE CONDITIONS
The total injury rate during the same period was nearly 45 injuries per 100 workers. Workers report unsafe conditions during peak seasons, including:

Increased workloads (e.g., processing twice as many packages)
Longer shifts and mandatory overtime pressure to ignore safety protocols

UNDERREPORTING OF INJURIES
The report alleges that Amazon engages in practices that artificially lower its recordable injury rate:

Failing to refer workers for outside medical care
Misclassifying injuries as non-recordable
Under-recording injuries in violation of OSHA regulations

UNDERSTAFFING

Amazon consistently understaffs its warehouses during peak periods:

Internal documents show the company often operates with less than 80% of needed staff
In 2021, Amazon met only 54.7% of its hiring target leading up to Prime Day.

Despite being aware of these issues, Amazon has not taken sufficient action to address them: The company's $1 billion investment in safety from 2019-2022 represents less than 3% of its 2023 profits.

DANGEROUS WORK ENVIRONMENT

This report paints a concerning picture of worker safety at Amazon, especially during high-demand periods. The data and worker testimonies suggest a systemic prioritization of productivity over safety, with potentially severe consequences for warehouse employees.

The discrepancy between Amazon's recordable injury rate and total injury rate raises questions about the company's injury reporting practices. If accurate, this could indicate that Amazon is circumventing OSHA regulations to present a safer image than reality.

The persistent understaffing issue, particularly during peak seasons, likely exacerbates safety concerns by increasing the workload on available employees. This, combined with pressure to meet high productivity targets, creates a potentially dangerous work environment.

Amazon Investigation Interim Report July 15, 2024

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Recommended Citation: Gelman, Jon L., Senate Blasts Amazon Over High Injury Rates, www.gelmans.com (07/19/2024) https://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/2024/07/senate-blasts-amazon-over-high-injury.html

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*Jon L. Gelman of Wayne, NJ, is the author of NJ Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thomson-Reuters) and co-author of the national treatise Modern Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thomson-Reuters). For over five decades, the Law Offices of Jon Gelman 1.973.696.7900
jon@gelmans.com has represented injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational illnesses and diseases.