Report: Amazon Injury Rate Nearly Double That of Competitors

Wednesday, June 2, 2021 | 0

Employees in Amazon warehouses face almost double the risk of suffering a serious injury when compared to those working in any other warehouse in the U.S., according to a report by the Washington Post.

The newspaper, coincidentally owned by Amazon owner Jeff Bezos, reports 5.9 serious injuries per 100 full-time employee equivalents at Amazon warehouses in 2020. The rate at any other warehouse not affiliated with Amazon was 3.1 serious injuries for every 100 full-time employee equivalents.

The disparity in 2020 marks an improvement over the three previous years when Amazon’s injury rate was more than double that of national warehouses, including 2019 when the online retailer had 7.8 serious injuries per 100 full-time employee equivalents compared to the national average of 3.1.

The newspaper identifies several facilities where, since 2017, average injury rates were four to nearly six times the national average. The average incident rate at the Amazon warehouse in DuPont, Washington, is 17.9 serious injuries per 100 full-time employee equivalents. In Tracy, California, the rate is 15.5 injuries per 100 workers; in Obetz, Ohio, the rate is 13.1; in Kent, Washington, the rate is 12.9; and in Fall River, Massachusetts, the rate is 12.8.

Worker advocates said the company places unrealistic demands on warehouse workers. The company said it sets achievable performance goals for its workers.