Study Finds that Amazon Warehouse Workers Suffer Serious Injuries 2x Higher Than Rivals

According to a new study, it may not be that safe working at an Amazon warehouse.

The Strategic Organizing Center (SOC) wrote in a new report published this week that Amazon warehouse workers suffer serious injuries at twice the rate of rivals in 2021.
There were 6.8 serious injuries for every 100 Amazon warehouse workers, compared with 3.3 serious injuries per 100 workers at all other employers in the warehouse industry, according to the study.

Amazon has pledged to become “Earth’s Safest Place to Work,” with the aim of cutting worker injuries by 50%.

The SOC, which is a coalition of labor unions including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the Service Employees International Union, analyzed data Amazon submitted to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration about its warehouses last year.

Amazon reported approximately 38,300 total injuries at its U.S. facilities in 2021, up about 20% from 27,100 injuries in 2020.

Most of the injuries in 2021 were categorized as serious, or injuries “where workers were hurt so badly that they were either unable to perform their regular job functions (light duty) or forced to miss work entirely (lost time),” according to the report.

Amazon was responsible for a “staggering” amount of worker injuries in the U.S., the report concluded.

In 2021, Amazon accounted for almost half of all injuries in the industry, while making up a third of all U.S. warehouse workers.

Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel pointed to the company’s pandemic-induced hiring spree as one catalyst behind the increase in recordable injuries between 2020 and 2021.

According to Nantel, Amazon’s recordable injury rate last year dropped roughly 13% compared to 2019.

“While we still have more work to do and won’t be satisfied until we are excellent when it comes to safety, we continue to make measurable improvements in reducing injuries and keeping employees safe, and appreciate the work from all of our employees and safety teams who are contributing to this effort,” Nantel said.

In January, Amazon disclosed it spent $300 million on worker safety improvements in 2021.

Disclaimer: We have no position in any of the companies mentioned and have not been compensated for this article.