Amazon’s Prime Day, a highly popular shopping event for customers, has been a major source of worker injuries, according to a Senate probe.
The report, spearheaded by Senator Bernie Sanders and released on Tuesday, July 16, highlights a spike in injury rates during Prime Day and the holiday season.
This finding is based on internal data from Amazon’s 2019 Prime Day, gathered over a yearlong investigation.
This year’s Prime Day, a two-day event, started on Tuesday.
The report accuses Amazon of prioritizing speed over safety, pressuring employees to work extensive hours while neglecting essential safety protocols.
The report states: “This is not an acceptable set of practices from one of the richest companies in the world.
“Amazon must address its injury crisis and ensure that all workers are safe at their jobs, especially during the most intense and demanding periods.”
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions conducted the investigation, with Sanders, the committee’s chairman, leading the charge.
He has been a persistent critic of Amazon’s labor practices.
Amazon, a dominant player in the e-commerce sector, has long been scrutinized for its treatment of warehouse workers.
An Amazon spokesperson said employee safety is the company’s top priority.
The spokesperson accused the Senate committee of presenting a skewed perspective that overlooks recent safety advancements.
“This is not an acceptable set of practices from one of the richest companies in the world”
They added: “If someone wants to truly understand the facts about our safety record and our progress toward being the safest company in the industries in which we operate, we encourage them to review our annual safety report or come visit one of our fulfillment sites to see for themselves.”
Prime Day, which offers significant discounts to Prime members, provides a substantial revenue boost during the slower summer months.
According to Adobe Analytics, US customers spent $12.7 billion during the two-day event last year.
This year, the expectation is to exceed $14 billion.
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The Senate report found that during Prime Day 2019, Amazon’s rate of recordable injuries—those requiring more than first aid—was more than double the industry average, with nearly 45 injuries per 100 workers.
It also alleged that Amazon pressured workers to avoid seeking external medical care to lower its recordable injury rate and underreported serious injuries.
Amazon claimed it has reduced its recordable incident rate by 28 percent and its lost time incident rate by 75 percent since 2019.
Despite recent safety investments, the Senate report argues these efforts are minimal compared to Amazon’s profits and insists more must be done to protect workers.
Amazon’s market cap recently surpassed $2 trillion, making it the fifth US company to reach this milestone.
For Prime Day 2023, Amazon enlisted celebrities like Millie Bobby Brown and influencers like Alix Earle and collaborated with rapper Megan Thee Stallion on a promotional song, “It’s Prime Day.”
