Baltimore Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Discuss Fine for Amazon
January 28, 2016The U.S. Department of Labor recently issued a $7,000 fine to mega online retailer, Amazon.com, Inc. for failure to report 26 workplace injuries that occurred in their New Jersey warehouse in 2015. The fine comes after federal investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited the online retailer with failing to report injuries sustained by workers in their Robbinsville fulfillment center. The 1.2 million foot warehouse employs almost 4,000 full-time, part-time and seasonal employees.
In its July 2015 investigation, OSHA found Amazon not only endangered its workers at the facility by not reporting safety hazards, but was also providing medical services that were beyond what their medical team was qualified to perform. By failing to report these injuries, safety hazards and unsafe working conditions are not identified which puts workers at risk for continued injuries. OSHA requires injuries to be reported and hazard-alert letters sent out to ensure employee safety.
The injuries suffered by Amazon employees at the New Jersey facility included harm to the neck, shoulders, backs, arms and hands from repetitive movements required to box and lift materials for shipments, and from standing for long periods of time. Some of the employees were required to stand for shifts of 10 or more hours over a four day period, which also included mandatory overtime. One worker was hit in the face by a box as he was unloading a truck, while others were put at risk for limb amputations because they were required to work with machinery without protective equipment.
Amazon, who reported over $25 billion in revenue last quarter, plans to contest the fine. According to a company spokesperson, Amazon takes the safety of their employees very seriously and disagrees with the OSHA citations. Amazon has faced criticism in the past for the way it treats its employees. Complaints from workers about excessive heat in fulfillment centers due to lack of air conditioning, long shifts, mandatory overtime and hiring thousands of seasonal employees each year to meet holiday demands have put workers at risk for serious injury and illness.
Baltimore Workers’ Compensation Lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton Represent Victims of Workplace Injuries
Employers have a responsibility to provide their employees with a safe working environment, free from unnecessary hazards and unsafe conditions. Failure to provide employees with protective equipment, proper training and safety policies can put an employer in violation of federal laws. If you or someone you know has been injured on the job, the experienced team of Baltimore Workers’ Compensation lawyers at can help you claim the benefits and compensation you may be entitled to receive.
Call us at 844-556-4LAW (4529), or complete our online contact form to schedule a consultation today.
