Two Fatal Workplace Accidents at Popular Online Retailer Warehouse

An employee was stuck on a conveyor belt and crushed to death. A year later, a similar accident was reported.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets regulations, inspects, and ensures the provision of a safe and healthy work environment to the working class of America. They investigate fatal workplace accidents and examine the circumstances causing a worker’s death. OSHA checks for any workplace regulation violations committed and demand corrective actions or issue fines and warnings to the at-fault company.

Amazon Under Fire

Recently, OSHA cited the online merchant Amazon for violating workplace safety regulations. The allegation stated that the company did not report as many as 26 workplace injuries and illnesses that had taken place in their New Jersey warehouse. This action was taken after OSHA investigated two fatal accidents that were reported.

• An employee was stuck on a conveyor belt and was crushed to death. A year later, a similar accident was reported.
• A number of workplace illnesses and injuries were not reported and the employees were treated by in-house medical staff.
• The medical staff did not have the appropriate licenses to treat the employees.
• Amazon was also faulted on the premise that they did not provide proper safety equipment to employees handling machinery nor was the machinery safely guarded to prevent serious injury such as amputation.
• Employees were reported to be working for longer than 10 hours a shift with a mandatory over-time assignment. Many employees were overworked and became susceptible to back injuries because of over bending at the waist for extended periods of time.

Reporting Workplace Accidents

In cases where employees have lost the use of their limbs or suffered loss of vision, hearing, or scarring to the neck, face, or hands are entitled to a one-time lump sum payment in addition to their entitled workers’ compensation benefits. When an employer does not accurately report workplace accidents, injured employees cannot use their entitled workers’ compensation benefits to support themselves and their families.

Amazon was fined $7,000 for violations of OSHA rules and regulations. Amazon claims the fines and the mandatory suggestions by OSHA will result in a significant loss of revenue, despite reporting $24.9 billion revenue for the 2015 third quarter. Amazon is contesting the OSHA report.