Senate probe links Amazon Prime Day to surge in worker injuries
Amazon Prime Day, the 48-hour discount frenzy that begins Tuesday, has been identified as a “major” contributor to worker injuries, according to preliminary findings from a Senate investigation.
The Senate’s Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee released interim results of its yearlong investigation into Amazon’s warehouse working conditions, coinciding with the company’s annual Prime Day deals event.
Injury rates during Prime Day
Amazon provided the committee with internal data from Prime Day 2019, revealing a total injury rate, including those the company is not required to disclose to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, of “just under” 45 injuries per 100 workers. This translates to nearly half of the company’s warehouse workforce being injured, according to the report.
“Amazon continues to treat its workers as disposable and with complete contempt for their safety and wellbeing,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent and chairman of the HELP Committee. “That is unacceptable and that has got to change.”
Understaffing and increased volume
The report indicates that Amazon’s warehouses have been understaffed during Prime Day and the holiday shopping seasons, “endangering workers, who have to manage increased volume without increased support.” An internal Amazon document titled “2021 Prime Day Lessons Learned” noted that Amazon “met only 71.2 percent of its hiring target” between May and June of 2021, culminating in the week of that year’s Prime Day event.
Amazon’s response
Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel criticized the report for ignoring the progress the company has made. “It draws sweeping and inaccurate conclusions based on unverified anecdotes, and it misrepresents documents that are several years old and contained factual errors and faulty analysis,” Nantel said. “For example, one of the false claims in the report implies that we’re not adequately staffed for busy shopping periods.” Nantel added that, since 2019, Amazon has reduced its incident rate for anything requiring more than basic first aid by 28% in the U.S. and lost time incident rate, which includes more significant injuries requiring an employee to miss at least one day of work, by 75%.
Ongoing scrutiny and safety initiatives
Amazon has faced increasing scrutiny over its workplace injury record and treatment of warehouse and delivery workers. The company has been cited by federal regulators for safety violations, and OSHA, along with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, is investigating conditions at several warehouses. The U.S. Department of Justice is also examining whether Amazon underreports injuries.
In March, Amazon reported improvements in its injury rates and announced plans to invest over $750 million in safety initiatives this year. The company has also appealed a series of citations issued by OSHA concerning safety hazards and violations.
Amazon stated it has begun automating some tasks and introducing more robotic systems in warehouse facilities, which the company claims can enhance safety, although this prospect remains debated.