Study finds Amazon workers suffer serious workplace injuries at more than twice the rate of rivals

A new study released this week showed Amazon workers are prone to more serious workplace injuries than workers at other shipping giants.

The study was conducted by the Strategic Organizing Center, which works to survey workers and create policy briefs to prompt action to rectify unsafe worker environments.

Based on information given to OSHA by Amazon, the SOC concluded, “Workers at Amazon facilities sustained more than 34,000 serious injuries on the job in 2021—leading to a serious injury rate at Amazon warehouses that is more than twice as high as the rate at non-Amazon warehouses.”

For every 100 Amazon workers in 2021, there were 6.8 serious injuries. That is more than double the rate of competitors in the warehouse industry, which average 3.3 serious workplace injuries per 100 employees. This in spite of Jeff Bezos’ 2021 promise to make Amazon “Earth’s Best Employer and Earth’s Safest Place to Work.”

Amazon’s worker injuries went up significantly at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, when orders increased and Amazon had to hire new workers at a rapid rate.

“While we still have more work to do and won’t be satisfied until we are excellent when it comes to safety, we continue to make measurable improvements in reducing injuries and keeping employees safe, and appreciate the work from all of our employees and safety teams who are contributing to this effort,” said Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel.