Over a seven-year period Amazon.com Inc. was assessed $329,981 in penalties by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, of which the company paid only $109,864, according to an agency spokeswoman.
“In most cases, a settlement agreement was reached in which Amazon agreed to comply with a cited standard or regulation or to eliminate a recognized hazard identified by OSHA during an inspection,” a spokeswoman wrote in an email to Business Insurance regarding penalties assessed and paid from 2017 to 2023.
Companies have 15 business days to contest OSHA citations and often negotiate with the agency, which can require that they eliminate hazards in exchange for lowered penalties.
The agency was following up requests for more information following the July 16 publication of a scathing U.S. Senate report that highlighted the company’s injury rates during surge sale days, such as Amazon Prime Day.
An Amazon spokeswoman did not respond to follow-up requests for comment on the outcome of Amazon safety citations, writing in response to the Senate report that “(c)itations are accusations, not proof of wrongdoing, and employers have the ability to contest them – so, we do so when we disagree with the allegations or the recommendations aren’t feasible for our operations.”
Amazon said the Senate report used outdated numbers and failed to use current injury rates that factor in safety improvements.