Amazon warehouse employees hurt twice as often as peers

• The serious injury rate among Amazon warehouse workers is more than double the rate at other warehouses, according to a report from the union coalition Strategic Organizing Center using OSHA data.
• The rate of worker injuries at Amazon warehouses was 70% higher compared to other warehouse companies in 2022,
• In 2022, the serious-injury rate among Amazon warehouse workers was 6.6 serious injuries for every 100 workers — more than double the rate at other warehouses, which was 3.2 serious injuries for every 100 workers.
• Amazon was responsible for 53% of serious injuries in the warehouse industry from 2022, despite Amazon employing 36% of U.S. warehouse workers, according to the SOC report.
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Injuries mount at Ohio facility

• Federal safety inspectors responded to a Portsmouth, Ohio, hardwood flooring mill to investigate reports of allegedly unsafe machinery for the third time in five months.
• Two of those inspections involved workers’ injuries, the latest on Oct. 5, 2022, when a worker’s fingertip was partially amputated because it was caught in an allegedly unguarded belt and pulley.
• OSHA determined the mill’s alleged lack of guarding, safety procedures, and training exposed employees to machine hazards.
• The agency cited the company for allegations of six repeated and 12 serious safety violations and proposed penalties of $333,693.
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Construction worker injured in Florida

• A construction worker is in critical condition after falling from the second story of a Clearwater, Florida, assisted living facility Thursday afternoon.
• First responders in Clearwater said the construction accident happened around 1 p.m. at The Grove at Countryside, which is currently under construction.
• The 29-year-old man fell from the second story of the building. Clearwater officials said he has been taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa with critical injuries.
• OSHA has been notified about the incident.
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Chemical spill closes Colorado road near Coors

• A sulfuric acid spill at a Coors’ canning facility closed public roads in Jefferson County, Colorado.
• No injuries were reported, but the facility was evacuated as a precaution.
• Experts are assessing the spill and any potential safety issues before they can clean it up and reopen the roads.
• Sulfuric acid can be harmful to the skin, eyes, teeth, and lungs, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
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