One of the nation’s largest employers and a significant employer here in Connecticut is Amazon. The CEO of the company Jeff Bezos recently discussed the on-going issue that the company is facing due to a significant rise in workplace injuries at its warehouses. Now their company is taking some action.
Amazon is spending $12 million to have the National Safety Council (NSC) develop a workplace safety plan that they hope will reduce injuries and limit the number of workers’ compensation claims they face over time.
While musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are a challenge for all companies that have warehouse workers, Amazon’s rate of injury is significantly higher than that of its competitors. Critics claim this is due to unreasonable and onerous performance standards that the company has, but the company insists that the performance standards can go hand in hand with workplace safety.
The NSC may be best known for their driver safety studies and initiatives and now with their partnership with Amazon they will be conducting this workplace evaluation and developing a plan to get Amazon’s workplace related injury rate in line with its competitors.
The company has already introduced an MSD Pledge which is encouraging employees to join in the fight against these disorders and be more proactive in reporting injuries of this type and tracking them in an effort to prevent them from happening. This is a similar approach Amazon took when it was criticized for its environmental impact and they instituted the Climate Pledge in 2019.
Warehouse workers are particularly susceptible to this type of workplace injury. Musculoskeletal disorders are common culprits in Connecticut workers’ compensation claims. Amazon is betting that by making a small investment now on education and safety that the rate of injury at their warehouses will decrease.
Working at an Amazon warehouse has the potential to lead to an injury and if you’ve experienced such an injury you may need an attorney who can guide you through the workers’s compensation claim process. Contact our office and one of our attorneys will review your case.
