Amazon responsible for half of all 2021 warehouse injuries, union says

Report finds that 89 per cent of the injuries reported at Amazon sites were 'serious'

Michael Foster of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union holds a sign outside an Amazon facility before the unionisation vote last year. AP

Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama. AP

A message placed by Amazon is seen at a warehouse breakroom in Bessemer, Alabama. Reuters

A pamphlet distributed by Amazon to workers in Bessemer, Alabama, before another potential union vote. Amazon Union/ Handout via Reuters

In this file photo taken on March 26, 2021 people hold pro-union signs during a rally at the Amazon Spheres and headquarters in Seattle in solidarity with Amazon workers hoping to unionise in Bessemer, Alabama. AFP

The Amazon fulfilment centre in Bessemer, Alabama. AFP

In this file photo taken on November 26, 2021, people march during a protest in support of Amazon and Starbucks workers in New York City. AFP

Staten Island Amazon workers protest in Times Square as they demand union rights in New York City. Reuters

Nearly half of warehouse injuries sustained in the US last year occurred at Amazon facilities, a report from a coalition of unions said.

The report, published on Tuesday by the Strategic Organising Centre, found that workers at Amazon sustained nearly 40,000 injuries in 2021. While Amazon employed 33 per cent of warehouse workers in the US last year, it accounted for 49 per cent of total injuries in the industry.

“Amazon’s high-pressure operations keep resulting in worker injuries in unprecedented numbers, and the situation is worsening,” the SOC said.

The coalition found that 34,000 of the injuries reported — or 89 per cent — were considered “serious injuries” resulting in workers being unable to effectively perform their job functions or forced to miss time entirely.

Amazon's rate of injuries at its warehouses has been “significantly higher” than non-Amazon warehouses for five consecutive years, the report said.

After analysing data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the SOC found that the rate of serious injuries at Amazon warehouses was more than double the rate of its competitors.

Amazon has gone from around 700 US warehouses in 2020 to more than 900 in 2021, and from 200,000 warehouse employees to more than 560,000 the report said.

The e-commerce giant's injury rates declined in 2020 when it relaxed burdens on its workers in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, but Amazon increased pressure again towards the end of the year.

“Amazon’s obsession with speed has played a role in driving its injury rates higher,” the SOC said.

In a letter to shareholders in April 2021, founder Jeff Bezos said he wanted to make Amazon “Earth’s Safest Place to Work” after a series of reports on safety conditions at the company. Mr Bezos also pledged to cut injury rates by 50 per cent by 2025.

“Despite what we’ve accomplished, it’s clear to me that we need a better vision for our employees’ success,” Mr Bezos told shareholders.

The SOC found that injury rates increased by 20 per cent last year, “raising significant questions about Amazon management’s commitment to preventing worker injuries".

Workers at an Amazon's JFK8 facility on New York's Staten Island successfully voted to form a union in March, the first of its kind for the online retailer.