Amazon staff said that the e-commerce giant's top priority is the safety of its employees, emphasizing that "nothing is more important to us." The company made this statement in a press release on December 16.
"At Amazon, our employees' safety is and always will be our top priority—nothing is more important to us," said staff.
According to the press release, Amazon has made progress in reducing workplace injuries while prioritizing employee safety. Over the past five years, the company has improved delivery speeds while decreasing injury rates, achieving a 28% reduction in recordable incidents and a 75% reduction in lost-time incidents. Amazon attributes these improvements to redesigned warehouse operations, ergonomic enhancements like adjustable-height workstations and self-adjusting carts, and data-driven safety initiatives such as Project Elderwand, which evaluates workplace ergonomics. The company also provides transparency through annual safety reports and benchmarking against industry standards to assess its performance.
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The press release further states that Amazon ensures nearly all North American fulfillment centers are climate-controlled and that workers have access to heat mitigation measures and first-aid services. The company said safety policies are not only in place but are actively followed, as reflected in a recent Washington state court ruling that dismissed claims regarding workplace hazards.
Amazon has a dedicated Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) team focused on maintaining both the physical and mental well-being of its employees, according to Amazon Jobs. The WHS team implements measures to mitigate potential risks and fosters a culture where safety is integral to daily operations. "Safety is central to our business and is at the forefront of everything we do," said Laura, a WHS Regional Manager.
A December 19 release indicates that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) agreed to withdraw nine of the ten ergonomic citations issued to Amazon following a 2022 investigation into the company’s safety practices. This leaves only one citation related to handling TVs at an Illinois facility, which Amazon will address by enforcing existing policies. The settlement follows a similar case dismissal in Washington state and acknowledges Amazon’s progress in improving workplace safety. The agreement does not claim wrongdoing on Amazon’s part for the withdrawn citations and does not mandate new safety measures.
Amazon.com, Inc., founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994, is described by Britannica as a multinational technology company specializing in e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. Initially an online marketplace for books, Amazon has expanded into many different sectors.