Occupational safety officials in Washington state fined Amazon $ 60,000 for deliberately placing workers in its large warehouse in Kent.
State Department of Labor and Industry investigators linked the threat to part of Amazon’s known productivity quotas. Working in a retail center requires a lot of repetitive movements, such as bending, lifting and rolling, “at such a high speed that it increases the risk of injury,” the agency said. declaration.
Officials said the violation was classified as “intentional” – a more serious category than standard citations – because they had previously mentioned similar issues to Seattle -based Amazon at three sites. The state ergonomics reviewed dozens of work processes at the Kent facility and identified 10 of them as “serious” threats.
“The company has not yet made the necessary changes to improve occupational safety and continues to deny the link between employment rate and injury rate,” the agency said.
Insider He was the first to report the quote. One of the ergonomists who visited the facility told the publication that they were trying to calculate the risk of injury, but Amazon’s productivity data “broke the model.”
The fine may seem insignificant to the retail giant that it has 14.3 billion dollars Earnings last quarter, but workplace safety penalties are typically in the United States Small card. In Washington, DC, the fine for a subpoena against Amazon is typically $ 70,000, although it can be higher. Special events.
Amazon said it intends to appeal the fine: “We really don’t agree [the agency’s] Claims and I don’t think it’s based on facts ”.
The company also challenged three other subpoenas issued by the state. The agency that issued the fines is the state equivalent of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
“The company’s relentless focus on volume and speed of work, coupled with the ongoing supervision of its employees, directly puts workers at risk for health and safety.”
– Eric Frumin, Strategic Organizational Center
Washington state said Amazon has two months to come up with a plan that will outline how it will address security concerns. Quote offers advice on Amazon 11, including using special equipment to reduce “awkward lifting” and “reduce overall staff overhead” between shifts.
Amazon employees closely monitor their work productivity as they sort, pack, and ship orders to customers. The retailer insisted its expectations were safe, but many workers and advocacy groups complained that pressure to reach quota at risk of resolution could lead to injuries and burns.
The Strategic Organizational Center, the union coalition that has reviewed Amazon’s damage data in the past, said a quote, showed the company was “under control.”
“The company’s relentless focus on volume and speed of work, coupled with ongoing supervision of its employees, directly puts workers at risk,” said Eric Frumin, director of health and safety. of the group in a note.
Reveal’s investigation in 2020 found that Amazon had Hidden Injury rates are higher than those known to the public. The retailer released its “free time” policy on giving time to workers and last year it announced Metric processing Reduce punishment.
Last year, California enacted a new law targeting Amazon’s productivity quotas, which prohibits companies from imposing labor rates that prevent workers from using the bathroom. The bill applies to all major warehouses in the state except its sponsor Appointed On behalf of the world’s largest online retailer when the governor signed it.
Union supporters in Alabama cited speed of work as one of the reasons they wanted to negotiate with Amazon. Last year, the company defeated the union puck at a warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, but labor officials later determined that Amazon had interfered in the election and violated the law. Decisive elections are currently taking place.
This post has been updated with Amazon comments.
Source: Huffpost
