The Seattle Times reports on how workers at a number of Amazon warehouse and fulfillment facilities are concerned about toxicity – not the workplace culture, but rather unsafe chemicals that could be putting them at risk.
An excerpt:
“Warehouse workers at some of Amazon’s facilities have to handle potentially hazardous materials every day … In January, L&I (Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries) inspectors cited Amazon’s Spokane warehouse for failing to properly train workers on how to handle hazardous chemicals or ensure employees wore appropriate eye protection, according to a previously unpublicized citation.”
The story goes on:
“The chemicals in Amazon’s warehouses, mostly consumer goods that customers order on Amazon.com, include pesticides, cleaning products and even some shampoos. Those items can leak through their packaging, exposing employees to potent odors that cause dizziness, nausea, skin irritation and, in some cases, vision loss, L&I reported.
“Inspecting the Spokane warehouse last year, L&I found some Amazon employees did not wear eye protection while handling packages that could leak. In winter, frozen items were also prone to explode, the department found in interviews with six employees.
“Workers who handled hazardous chemicals were not effectively trained on how to identify the materials they were handling or the risks they posed, L&I alleged. One worker told the department they determined if a chemical was hazardous based on the ‘glare or shimmer’ of the container. Another said they went by smell; if they got nauseous, they assumed it was hazardous.”
The Times writes that “Amazon disputes the claims, maintaining that all front-line employees receive safety training that includes information on chemicals and how to read labels. Only trained employees clean up chemical spills, said Amazon, which has appealed L&I’s citation.”
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