When Productivity Becomes Dangerous: 5 Safety Lessons from Amazon’s Distribution Centers
Warehouse productivity is a juggling act between worker safety, efficiency, speed, and customer service. And if you get the balance wrong, the stakes are no laughing matter. E-commerce orders are growing at an unprecedented rate as consumers increasingly purchase everyday necessities, Cyber Monday deals, and five-fingered Chipmunk puppets online, and they want it yesterday…
Amazon is a powerhouse with a massive, ever-expanding customer base. Because of its sheer size, the probability of something going awry in a warehouse is amplified. Just plug in “Amazon,” “distribution center,” and “dangerous” in your browser, and you’ll find a trove of Amazon’s safety incidents in the warehouse.
The barrage of public criticism of Amazon available in the news media provides other warehousing operations with an opportunity to learn critical safety lessons. Here are just a few:
1. “I feel the need – the need for speed!” – Peter “Maverick” Mitchell. #RIPGoose.
Much of Amazon’s public criticism appears to stem from a commitment to speed, above all else. While some workers have noted that Amazon instructs its employees on “safe way[s] to move their bodies and handle equipment,” it appears that the overarching emphasis on speed results in workers being forced to sacrifice safety to meet quotas.
When speed takes precedence over safety and becomes the primary metric used to assess the viability of a warehouse, the likelihood of injury increases, not only because employees are trying to hustle to meet quotas, but also because they neglect safety of themselves and others to meet expectations. This leads to the second lesson – the importance of keeping an open line of communication between workers and managers.
2. You used to call on my (warehouse) phone…
Workers are on the front lines of a warehouse. They are the critical eyes and ears of a distribution center, and their observations provide insightful information that is absolutely necessary to maintain and improve both safety and efficiency.
In addition to stress injuries (more on that below), some Amazon workers have expressed concerns that an overwhelming emphasis on speed results in a reluctance to freely report dangerous conditions. One worker called 911 anonymously to report a gas leak, and expressly mentioned to the dispatcher she did not want Amazon to know she called.
When there are open lines of communication, and when workers are not afraid to raise concerns, everyone wins.
3. Safety training is a forking must.
Forklifts are popular equipment in warehouses. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, between 2011 and 2017, 614 workers lost their lives in forklift-related accidents, and each year, there are more than 7,000 non-fatal forklift accidents.
One of the high-profile injury cases involving Amazon occurred in a distribution center in Indiana. An employee was crushed by a forklift during maintenance. There were allegations that the employee was informally (and inadequately) trained on this equipment. Proper, formal training on dangerous equipment is critical to avoid unnecessary injury to warehouse workers.
4. Some like it hot…But not the human workforce. #AITakeover
Amazon has been criticized for failing to maintain a comfortable temperature for its workers, who have complained of excessive heat. Some workers claim to have suffered from dizziness as a result of things like fans that are not in working order, or have claimed a refusal to provide fans because “the robots don’t function well in the cold” (Amazon’s hybrid warehouse model involves the use of both AI and human labor). Dehydration, exhaustion, and passing out because of the room temperature are problems that are easily solvable. An optimized warehouse should take into account the basic comfort of its human workers, and something is awry if the needs of workers are being sacrificed to optimize the needs of machinery.
5. Ergonomics
Long hours and repetitive motions increase the likelihood of injury. The majority of the injuries reflected on Amazon’s reporting forms to OSHA are for “sprains and bruises.” This is consistent with the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ observation that cases involving musculoskeletal disorders (known as “MSDs”) account for “33% of all worker injury and illness cases.”
Warehousing is considered a high-risk industry for developing an MSD, and employers are ultimately responsible for creating a safe environment for their workers. OSHA recommends implementing an “ergonomic process” to reduce the risk of MSDs, including (i) management support; (ii) the involvement of workers in assessing, developing and implementing this process; (iii) ongoing training; (iv) early reporting of MSD symptoms; and (v) implementation of solutions to control hazards.
Want to learn more about Rufus’ commitment to warehouse safety and tools to help you bring the right balance to your operations? Drop us a line at enterprise@rufuslabs.com.
