Working conditions are unsafe for workers at three Amazon warehouses, according to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The agency sent citations to the giant e-commerce corporation on Jan. 17, and the company said it will contest the citations. OSHA is also conducting investigations at three other Amazon worksites.

Debbie Berkowitz, a fellow at Georgetown University's Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor in Washington, D.C., called the OSHA citations "incredibly significant, unprecedented and historic" because of the level of agency resources devoted to the investigation.

Background

OSHA cited Amazon for ergonomic hazards after inspections at three warehouse facilities in Deltona, Fla.; Waukegan, Ill.; and New Windsor, N.Y. Similar investigations are ongoing at Amazon worksites in Aurora, Colo.; Nampa, Idaho; and Castleton, N.Y. "Workers face immense pressure to meet the pace of work and production quotas at the risk of sustaining musculoskeletal injuries, which are often acute," OSHA said in a hazard alert sent to Amazon.

OSHA investigators concluded Amazon warehouse workers were at high risk for lower back injuries and other musculoskeletal disorders related to the heaviness of packages; the high frequency with which they must lift packages; moves like twisting, bending and long reaches while lifting; and long hours required to complete assigned tasks. The agency said Amazon warehouse workers experienced high rates of...

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