Amazon Prime Day, the 48-hour discount event that starts Tuesday, is a “major” cause of worker injuries, according to a Senate probe’s preliminary findings. The Senate’s Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee released these results after a yearlong investigation into Amazon’s warehouse working conditions.
Senate Investigation Reveals High Injury Rates
The report, based on internal data from Prime Day 2019, revealed an injury rate of nearly 45 per 100 workers, encompassing injuries not required to be reported to OSHA. This figure indicates that almost half of Amazon’s warehouse workforce experienced injuries.
The investigation also indicated that Amazon warehouses were understaffed during Prime Day and holiday seasons, posing risks to workers handling increased workloads without adequate support.
An internal Amazon document titled “2021 Prime Day Lessons Learned” stated that Amazon met only 71.2% of its hiring targets between May and June 2021, including the week of Prime Day.
Senator Bernie Sanders, chair of the HELP committee, criticized Amazon’s treatment of its workers, calling it unacceptable and demanding change. He emphasized the need for improved safety and better treatment of workers.
Amazon’s Response to the Report
In response, Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel argued that the report overlooks the progress made by the company and relies on unverified anecdotes and outdated documents. Nantel noted that since 2019, Amazon has reduced its incident rate for injuries requiring more than basic first aid by 28% in the U.S. and its lost time incident rate by 75%.
Despite these improvements, 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, with ongoing investigations by OSHA and the U.S. Department of Justice examining whether Amazon underreports injuries.
In March, Amazon reported improved injury rates and announced plans to invest over $750 million in safety initiatives this year. The company is also appealing several OSHA citations related to safety hazards and violations.
Additionally, Amazon has started automating some tasks and introducing more robotic systems in its warehouse facilities, which the company claims can improve safety, though this approach remains debated.
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