Holidays and Amazon’s annual Prime Day correspond with major spikes in workplace injuries at the retail giant’s warehouses, a Senate investigation revealed.
According to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, Prime Day is a “major” cause of injuries for warehouse workers. The Wednesday report claims that the increase in deliveries during the annual event exacerbates the “unsafe” conditions in Amazon’s facilities.
The investigation, chaired by Sen. Bernard Sanders, Vermont independent, called on Amazon to do more to improve working conditions.
“Amazon must do more to protect workers during Prime Day and the holiday season,” the report reads. “As one of the richest companies in the world, Amazon has the resources to make its warehouses safe for workers.”
The report used internal Amazon data on workplace injuries to make its determination. During Prime Day 2019 the rate of recordable injuries, or injuries the company must report to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, exceeded 10 per 100 employees. The average for U.S. warehouses is just under five per 100 employees.
The report suggested that Amazon is manipulating its recorded injury rate by not referring employees to outside medical help. The committee said Amazon sometimes encourages injured employees to seek only on-site first aid.
“In addition, Amazon has a documented history of failing to properly record injuries for OSHA, which is further evidence that Amazon’s total injury rate reflects serious injuries that should be disclosed to the agency and that its recordable injury rate is artificially low,” the report reads.
Additionally, the spike in workplace injuries was blamed on Amazon’s alleged failure to adequately staff its warehouses during peak periods.
“Amazon has even acknowledged this risk in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission,” the report states. “In the company’s 2023 Annual Report, Amazon states, ’We may be unable to adequately staff our fulfillment network and customer service centers during these peak periods.’”
Amazon denied the accusations and the report’s findings. The company pointed out that the committee was working with relatively old data and that Amazon had reduced its recordable injury rate by 28% since 2019.
The report’s findings echo complaints made by Amazon workers, especially those involved in labor organizing at the company’s warehouses. Current and former employees have regularly pointed out overwhelming workloads, limited breaks and understaffing.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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