Amazon Article 1 Note
Rate of workers injured at Amazon warehouse.
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In 2020, there were 5.9 serious injuries for every 100 Amazon warehouse
workers, which is nearly 80% higher than the serious injury rate at nonAmazon warehouses, the Strategic Organizing Center wrote in a new report
published Tuesday.
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Amazon’s 2020 injury rates were higher than Walmart, one of its closest
retail competitors. Amazon’s overall injury rate in 2020 was 6.5 cases for
every 100 workers, according to the study.
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Amazon’s serious injury rates are nearly double that of non-Amazon
warehouses.
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Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel told CNBC in a statement that the company in
2020 spent more than $1 billion on initiatives like “WorkingWell,” a
program that aims to better educate employees on how to avoid workplace
injuries, and also offers mental health and nutrition guidance.
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The company also employs more than 6,200 people on its workplace health and
safety team
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Amazon has recently taken steps to improve its workplace safety programs as
it faces growing scrutiny from employees, advocacy groups and politicians
over working conditions at warehouses before and during the pandemic.
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Amazon reiterated its goal to cut worker injuries by 50% by 2025. Amazon also
plans to invest more than $300 million this year in safety projects.
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Amazon said these types of injuries, typically things like sprains or strains
from repetitive motions, fell by 32% between 2019 and 2020. Serious MSDs that
resulted in time away from work decreased by more than half.
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Amazon’s productivity quotas are partly to blame for rising injury rates.
The company requires warehouse workers to pick, pack and stow a certain
number of items per hour.
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The decline was likely a result of Amazon temporarily pausing performance
tracking for part of last year to give workers more time to wash and sanitize
their hands amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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The SOC study also identified that injury rates across Amazon’s contracted
delivery network are higher than those in its fulfillment centers.
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Because they aren’t considered employees of Amazon, the company doesn’t
report injury rates among drivers.
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The SOC found that these DSPs reported injury rates of 14 and 13.3,
respectively, per 100 workers. Additionally, the majority of injuries
reported by DSPs in 2019 and 2020 were severe, requiring employees to take
time off work to recover.
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