The federal government cited Amazon.com Inc. for failing to keep workers safe at three of its warehouses and told the company to make fundamental changes, the Labor Department announced Wednesday, as investigations continue at three of the company’s other warehouses. The citations over working conditions at Amazon
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warehouses in Florida, Illinois and New York come after what the Labor Department said is the largest enforcement effort on ergonomics by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which is conducting a multistate investigation of the company’s warehouses after referrals from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
Among the OSHA investigators’ findings: The company’s warehouse workers are at high risk for lower-back injuries and other musculoskeletal disorders because they are frequently required to lift heavy items and have to twist, bend and reach during that work. In addition, they work long hours. According to required on-site injury logs inspected by investigators, Amazon warehouse workers experienced high rates of musculoskeletal disorders. “Each of these inspections found work processes that were designed for speed but not safety, and they resulted in serious worker injuries,” said Doug Parker, assistant secretary for OSHA, in a statement. The agency is asking Amazon to make fundamental changes …