Colorado Springs Amazon delivery station cited for exposing workers to hazardous conditions

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The US Department of Labor cited Amazon again for exposing workers to hazards, this time at the Colorado Springs delivery station.

According to the DOL, federal workplace safety inspectors found the e-commerce company exposed workers to hazardous conditions. The August 2022 inspection came after an employee complained of musculoskeletal disorders related to the site’s processing speed and blocked fire exits.

This is the third time in 2023 that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) took action against Amazon. On Jan. 18 and Feb. 1, OSHA cited Amazon and issued hazard alert letters for similar violations at six warehouse facilities in Deltona, Florida; Waukegan, Illinois; New Windsor and Castleton, New York; Nampa, Idaho; and Aurora, Colorado.

The Colorado Springs delivery site, which processes between 5,000 and 10,000 packages per hour and receives about 50,000 packages per day, is now the seventh location found ignoring well-known hazards.

“We continue to find that Amazon’s work processes are designed for speed, not safety, and that these processes cause serious injuries to workers,” explained Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker said in a press release. “Amazon needs to focus more of its passion for innovation and performance on eliminating the hazards that injure workers.”    

The DOL said OSHA proposed $15,625 in penalties, an amount set by federal statute.

A spokesperson for Amazon provided KRDO with the following statement:

“We take the safety and health of our employees very seriously, and we don’t believe the government’s allegations reflect the reality of safety at our sites. We’ve cooperated with OSHA and demonstrated how we work to mitigate risks and keep our people safe, and our publicly available data shows we reduced injury rates in the U.S. nearly 15% between 2019 and 2021. There will always be more to do, and we’ll continue working to get better every day.”

Maureen Lynch Vogel, Amazon spokesperson

Amazon has 15 business days after receiving the current citations and proposed penalty to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the findings before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.