x
Breaking News
More () »

Amazon cited by OSHA for second time this year

The Department of Labor has slapped Amazon with multiple citations over the last few months for putting warehouse workers at risk.

AURORA, Colo. — Federal safety investigators cited three more Amazon warehouses for putting workers at serious risk of injury, just weeks after citing another three warehouses. 

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued citations to facilities in Aurora, Colo., Nampa, Idaho, and Castleton, New York for putting workers at a high risk of low back injuries and other musculoskeletal disorders from the bending, twisting and lifting workers do while stacking packages onto conveyor belts for hours at a time.

Amazon could be fined $46,875 in penalties for these three violations. 

OSHA cited facilities in Florida, Illinois and New York in January for the same violations and faces $60,269 in fines if OSHA prevails in that case. In December 2022, OSHA issued 14 citations against Amazon for failing to properly record injuries as part of the same investigation. 

The Seattle-based e-commerce giant earned $33 billion in 2021.

Amazon has acknowledged injury rates for its warehouse workers are higher than average but says it has invested millions of dollars in improving its safety record.

"Amazon's operating methods are creating hazardous work conditions and processes, leading to serious worker injuries," explained Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker. "They need to take these injuries seriously and implement a company-wide strategy to protect their employees from these well-known and preventable hazards."

Last month, Parker said the Amazon warehouses in New York and Florida had DART rates - meaning days away from work, job restrictions or transfers due to injuries - that were triple the industry average of 4.7 injuries per 100 workers.

Amazon has said the company disagrees with OSHA's findings.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Before You Leave, Check This Out