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Amazon has won a legal battle over safety in one of its warehouses with Washington’s Department of Labor and Industries.
The decision will no doubt be welcomed by the online retail giant which has even been lampooned on Saturday Night Live over its worker safety record and is seeing increased levels of union involvement, particularly from the powerful Teamsters union, as workers organise to improve conditions.
The Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals, a governmental body that reviews workplace safety disputes, upheld a prior ruling to dismiss four citations that had accused Amazon of maintaining hazardous conditions in several of its Washington state facilities.
The board reaffirmed that Amazon had not violated workplace safety regulations or subjected its employees to an elevated risk of injury, as was alleged by the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I).
The ruling marks a win for Amazon, though it does not conclude the ongoing legal battle. L&I plans to challenge the decision in Superior Court, continuing its efforts to hold the company accountable for what it deems inadequate worker safety measures. The case could be retried using the same evidence presented during the original trial before the board.
“We disagree both with the judge’s characterization of the facts and interpretation of the law,” said an L&I spokesperson. “State law and the Washington Constitution establish a worker’s right to a safe workplace, and Amazon’s injury record shows they have not protected their workers.”
They added that state laws and the Washington Constitution ensure workers’ rights to a safe environment and pointed to Amazon's injury record as evidence of its failure to uphold these protections.
Workers faced "significant risks"
The four disputed citations, which were filed based on inspections at three Amazon warehouses, alleged that workers faced significant risks due to repetitive motions and the high-speed demands of their jobs. One of the citations, related to an incident that L&I claimed was "willful," suggested Amazon knowingly allowed unsafe working conditions to persist. Amazon denied all allegations and argued that its workplace practices are both safe and compliant with state regulations.
In July, Judge Stephen Pfeifer ruled in Amazon’s favor, concluding that the company’s health and safety protocols were adequate and that L&I had not sufficiently demonstrated that Amazon's work practices were directly responsible for elevated injury rates.
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Despite the ruling, L&I appealed in September, claiming that Amazon could reduce workplace injuries if it altered certain policies, equipment, and workflows.
L&I's appeal pointed to what it described as an unprecedented number of workplace injuries within Amazon’s warehouses. It argued that Amazon placed undue responsibility on workers for their injuries rather than acknowledging the role of its own corporate practices. Nevertheless, the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals declined to review L&I's appeal, reinforcing the earlier decision to drop the citations against Amazon.
Had L&I succeeded in its appeal, Amazon would have been required to implement changes to its operations and could have faced further scrutiny, not only in Washington but also in other states where similar investigations into warehouse safety are ongoing.
Amazon safety statement
Amazon, in a statement following the board’s decision, said it was pleased with the outcome. “We appreciate the Board affirming the judge’s original decision”. The firm emphasized that it is committed to providing safe, well-paid jobs and is working toward becoming the safest company in the industries where it operates.
Despite the ruling, Amazon continues to face criticism over its workplace safety practices and is increasingly confronting challenges from unionized workers. The company has been at the center of labor disputes over employee wellbeing, with critics pointing to its history of high injury rates, long hours, demanding work environments, and slow progress on improving conditions.
As unions like the Teamsters gain momentum in support of Amazon workers, the pressure on Amazon to reform its safety standards and employee welfare policies continues to grow, making it a critical issue for both its workforce and the company’s future operations.
