A media outlet has launched an investigation into alleged unsafe working conditions at Amazon’s fulfillment warehouses in Pennsylvania and across the U.S. There have been numerous reports of worker injuries and mistreatment at the facilities.
The Guardian reports that its investigation revealed multiple cases of workplace accidents at Amazon warehouses. The newspaper further claims that Amazon’s poor treatment of injured workers has pushed some of them into poverty and homelessness. For example, one worker at a Pennsylvania facility was fired just five weeks after suffering an on-the-job injury. In another case, a former worker filed a lawsuit claiming that Amazon fired him and denied him workers’ compensation benefits after he hurt his back at a Florida facility.
According to the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, Amazon warehouses are one of the most dangerous places to work in America. The organization reports that seven U.S. Amazon warehouse workers have been killed in work-related accidents since 2013. Three of those workers died at separate warehouse locations within a five-week span in 2017. Meanwhile, many workers suffer from exhaustion and end up quitting to avoid injury or death. For its part, Amazon claims that it is “proud” of its workplace safety record and says worker safety is its “number one priority.”
Warehouse workers could suffer a number of serious on-the-job injuries, including back injuries, repetitive strain injuries and crush injuries. When workers are injured, they have the right to file for worker’s compensation benefits, which may provide medical coverage and wage replacement payments while they are unable to work. An attorney may help file a workers’ comp claim to ensure that the worker receives all the benefits he or she is entitled to.
Source: Sun News, “Amazon Under the Spotlight for Unsafe Working Conditions,” Colon Fluxman, July 30, 2018
