Senate Investigation Accuses Amazon of Endangering Workers and Manipulating Injury Data

A report released by the US Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, chaired by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), accuses Amazon of prioritizing speed over worker safety while manipulating injury data to downplay the risks in its warehouses. The findings, stemming from an 18-month investigation, claim that Amazon workers face injury rates nearly twice as high as the industry average, with rates climbing to over 30% higher in 2023 alone.

Key Findings from the Senate Investigation

The report, based on seven years of injury data and interviews with more than 130 workers, alleges that Amazon:

• Operates warehouses with significantly higher injury rates than industry averages, even when compared to large warehouses.
• Requires workers to perform tasks at "an extremely fast and often dangerous pace," undermining the company’s safety protocols.
• Discourages injured employees from seeking external medical care by using on-site health facilities to delay or block necessary treatment.
• Blames workers for their injuries and avoids referring them to outside experts, leading to chronic pain, disabilities, and diminished quality of life.

The report further criticizes Amazon's methodology for comparing its injury rates, arguing that the company selectively compares its facilities to larger warehouses — which inherently have higher injury rates — rather than the national warehouse average.

Amazon Pushes Back

Amazon rejected the Senate panel's claims, calling the investigation "an attempt to collect information and twist it to support a false narrative." The company emphasized that it has made substantial safety improvements over the years despite growing consumer demand. Amazon also defended its injury rate comparisons, standing by its methodology.

This isn’t the first time Amazon’s workplace safety practices have faced scrutiny. The company has previously argued that its injury rates are only "slightly above" industry averages — a defense the Senate report deemed misleading.

A History of Safety Violations

The report adds to a growing list of allegations against Amazon regarding unsafe working conditions:

• In 2022, OSHA cited Amazon for warehouse tasks involving repetitive motions like twisting and bending up to nine times per minute, which pose a high risk of musculoskeletal disorders.
• Workers have reported injuries leading to long-term disabilities, chronic pain, and reduced mobility.
• Federal inspections have highlighted safety hazards, with Amazon often disputing the findings.

Senator Bernie Sanders: “This Must End”

Sen. Sanders, a longtime critic of Amazon, said in the report, “Amazon's continued and daily endangerment of the nation's second-largest private-sector workforce must end. The U.S. Congress cannot allow any company to treat its workers as disposable.”

Broader Implications for Amazon and Warehouse Safety

The HELP Committee’s findings come at a time when labor conditions in Amazon warehouses have been under intense public and legal scrutiny. Unionization efforts, including repeated votes at Amazon’s Bessemer, Alabama, facility, have shone a spotlight on workplace issues.

While Amazon continues to tout its improvements and defend its practices, the report has added to calls for stricter oversight and legislation to protect workers in the growing e-commerce sector. Whether this will lead to meaningful change remains to be seen, but the findings underscore the tension between the push for fast deliveries and the cost borne by the workers enabling them.