Amazon Did Not Give ‘Proper Medical Treatment’ to Injured Workers, OSHA Says

Amazon Did Not Give ‘Proper Medical Treatment’ to Injured Workers, OSHA Says

Amazon’s fourth citation this year carries a proposed penalty of $15,625.

  • By Alex Saurman
  • May 02, 2023

Over about a ninth-month period, workers at an Amazon fulfillment facility “did not receive timely, necessary medical care” after sustaining injuries, OSHA alleged in a recent news release.

According to the news release, “at least” six workers sustained injuries to their heads and four sustained injuries to their backs—all in different incidents from August 2022 to mid-April 2023—while working at a Castleton, New York fulfillment center and were sent back to work, an action that exacerbated many workers’ injuries. OSHA’s proposed penalties for this citation—the fourth in 2023—total $15,625.

This is not the first time OSHA has taken action against the e-commerce company for its medical-related practices. A 2015 investigation at a New Jersey fulfillment center resulted in a Hazard Alert Letter for Amazon; and in 2023, OSHA also issued “a similar warning” following a Florida warehouse facility inspection, per the agency.

"The work at these fulfillment facilities is physically demanding. Returning a worker with a back injury or possible concussion to their job without proper medical evaluation and care can lead to prolonged injuries and lifelong suffering," Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker said in the news release. "The examples uncovered by our investigation demonstrate a callous disregard for the well-being of Amazon's Castleton employees that is completely unacceptable."

Photo credit: dennizn / Shutterstock.com

About the Author

Alex Saurman is a former Content Editor for Occupational Health & Safety,who has since joined OH&S’s client services team. She continues to work closely with OH&S’s editorial team and contributes to the magazine.

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