Federal Safety Inspections at Six Amazon Warehouse Facilities Find Company Failed to Record, Report Worker Injuries, Illnesses

The U.S. Department of Labor announced that its Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Amazon during inspections at six warehouse facilities in five states for failing to properly record work-related injuries and illnesses. The findings are part of an ongoing investigation.

Following referrals from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, OSHA opened inspections on July 18, at Amazon locations in Deltona, Florida; Waukegan, Illinois; and New Windsor, New York; and on August 1, at locations in Aurora, Colorado; Nampa, Idaho; and Castleton, New York.

OSHA issued Amazon citations for 14 recordkeeping violations, including failing to record injuries and illnesses, misclassifying injuries and illnesses, not recording injuries and illnesses within the required time, and not providing OSHA with timely injury and illness records. Amazon faces $29,008 in proposed penalties.

“Solving health and safety problems in the workplace requires injury and illness records to be accurate and transparent,” said Doug Parker, Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health. “Our concern is that nothing will be done to keep an injury from recurring if it isn’t even recorded in the logbook which – in a company the size of Amazon – could have significant consequences for a large number of workers.”

OSHA’s investigations at the six locations are ongoing. The agency issued the recordkeeping citations now to ensure they were issued within six months as federal law requires. 

Amazon has 15 business days from receipt of the citation and proposed penalty to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

For more information, visit https://www.osha.gov.