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Amazon cleared of violations in deaths of 2 more NJ workers
By
Karen Yi
Published Feb 13, 2023
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By
Karen Yi
Published Feb 13, 2023
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Federal safety investigators have cleared Amazon of workplace citations related to the deaths of two more New Jersey warehouse workers.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration concluded its six-month investigation into both cases, finding “no hazards that contributed to the employees’ death,” according to OSHA spokesperson Lenore Uddyback-Fortson.
In late July, a Robbinsville Amazon worker struck his head after falling off a 3-foot ladder. He died three days later. The following week, another worker at the Monroe Township facility died. Authorities didn’t describe the circumstances of that incident.
Their deaths came less than two weeks after a worker in Carteret died during the retail giant’s Prime Day promotion. OSHA cleared Amazon in that incident last month.
“Our New Jersey Amazon team was devastated by the loss of our colleagues, and our thoughts continue to be with their loved ones. We’re committed to supporting them and our teams however we can as we move forward,” Amazon spokeswoman Maureen Lynch Vogel said in an emailed statement.
Since January, OSHA has issued safety violation citations to six Amazon facilities in Colorado, Idaho, New York, Illinois and Florida. Three of those facilities were cited this month. OSHA said the company failed to keep workers safe by putting them at high risk of lower back injuries or other musculoskeletal disorders, subjecting them to long hours to complete assigned tasks, and requiring workers to twist and bend at awkward angles to carry items.
"Amazon's operating methods are creating hazardous work conditions and processes, leading to serious worker injuries," said Doug Parker, OSHA's assistant secretary of labor, in a statement earlier this month. "They need to take these injuries seriously and implement a companywide strategy to protect their employees from these well-known and preventable hazards."
The recent citations stem out of referrals by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, which opened an investigation into workplace safety issues at Amazon last summer. The office is also looking into whether Amazon fraudulently misrepresented the number of employee injuries and its safety record. Members of the public can still report warehouse safety issues online in English or Spanish.
“There’s no doubt the conditions at Amazon warehouses mean workers face dangers at a level much greater than at competitors in an already dangerous industry,” Garrett O’Connor, director of worker organizing and policy for immigrant advocacy and support group Make the Road New Jersey, said in a statement.
He said the lack of citations doesn't absolve Amazon for what he called ongoing dangerous conditions for workers. A New Jersey Policy Perspective report shows a high — and rising — injury rate among state Amazon workers from 2020 to 2021.
Amazon, for its part, says it’s committed to workplace safety, and that it has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in safety projects.
Tagged
economy
new jersey
Workforce
Karen Yi
Karen Yi covers homelessness and poverty. She joined the WNYC and Gothamist newsroom in 2020. Before that, Karen covered Newark for the Star-Ledger and spent almost a decade working for newspapers in New Jersey and Florida. She grew up in Miami and has a dog named Cashew. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal 917-589-1460.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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