U.S. Lawmakers Pen Letter Regarding Safety at Amazon Fulfillment Centers

Friday, December 27, 2019 | 0

Amazon's Fall River, Massachusetts, fulfillment center was the subject of a recent letter penned by two U.S. senators and one representative, asking CEO Jeff Bezos about the high rate of serious injuries in the warehouse, according to a report by the Providence Journal.

The letter from Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey, and Rep. Joseph Kennedy, all Democrats, refers to findings by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration where more than 20% of reported serious injuries in Fall River, Massachusetts, in 2018 occurred six-weeks prior to Thanksgiving and ending at Christmas. Reports from ProPublica and Buzzfeed News have found that Amazon’s logistics continue to emphasize speed and cost over worker safety during the holiday season and beyond.

The Fall River warehouse had a total of 125 workplace injuries reported, equating to one workplace injury every three days. 80 percent of Fall River injuries were filed as sprains, 20 injuries reported consisted of sustained bruising, with other injuries including concussions, abrasions, lacerations and more.

Reveal News and The Center for Investigative Reporting compiled annual summaries of work-related injuries and illness at 27 of Amazon’s fulfillment centers. Fall River came in 15th in terms of total reported injuries and 11th for serious injuries.

Employees at this warehouse missed a total of 4,738 days of work last year because of work related injuries. In comparison to similar warehouse facilities, the rate of injury at Amazon’s fulfillment centers were steadily above industry averages.

Fall River’s fulfillment center employs roughly a quarter of Amazon’s workforce in the Bay State.