Washington State Department of Labor and Industries inspectors found that Amazon required workers execute repetitive motions, lifting and other physical work at a fast pace.
Experts say that puts workers at the risk of developing work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs).
Amazon’s Spokane fulfillment center employs about 2,400 workers. In the last three years of operation, there have been 400 worker’s compensation claims for the type of injury known as WMSD.
Labor and Industries has previously cited other Amazons in Washington. All have revealed that the company was aware of these hazards.
State officials say they consider this most recent violation is to be willful and, for that reason, assessed a higher penalty.
Apart from the fine related to putting workers at risk, they were also fined for noise levels that were too high for workers not wearing appropriate hearing protection.
Dont know why they bothered with $85k fine. Could just have given a verbal warning
They consider it the cost of doing business. The consequences have to hurt before they’ll do the right thing. Remember in Fight Club when he’s explaining how they decide to do a recall on defective cars? That’s real, it’s not made up for the movie. Cost of doing business.
For a company that can find millions of dollars in between couch cushions once a week, this <$100,000 fine will totally teach them a lesson.
So about $70 per violation per year? And we wonder why everything is awful.
The appropriate action is to shut the fulfillment center down and order Amazon to continue paying all wages until the situation is fully remedied.
85 thousand dollars?
Oh god, hows the Bezos going to ever afford such an enormous and burdensome fee? /s
Ouch our mildly inconvenienced wrists!
- Amazon
See also:
Tempura joints
Noun
A consequence so lenient that it is equatable to lightly battered wrists
Example: Jeff Bezos is gonna keep fucking us if they keep giving him tempura joints.
