Three More Amazon Warehouses Face Safety Hazard Probes

Three Amazon warehouses were visited by OSHA inspectors this week as part of a growing probe into potential workplace hazards.

CNBC reports that federal officials are beginning to focus on Amazon’s workplace safety hazards. Investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) visited Amazon warehouses near Albany, New York, Denver, and Boise, Idaho, on Monday.

The workplace inspections are part of a probe launched last month by OSHA and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. In July, OHSA officials inspected three other Amazon locations in New York, Chicago, and Orlando following referrals from SDNY prosecutors.

Last month, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said that the civil division is investigating reports of potential workplace safety hazards at Amazon warehouses across the U.S. The investigation is also exploring possible fraudulent conduct that attempts to hide injuries from OSHA.

Current and former Amazon employees were asked to report information about working conditions using an online form set up by federal prosecutors. The survey asks at one point: “Have you seen workers working in unsafe ways to try to meet their productivity/rate requirements?” Another question reads: “Do you believe that Amazon discourages workers from reporting injuries?”

OSHA recently confirmed to CNBC that it has opened investigations at Amazon warehouses in Colorado, Idaho, and New York. The spokesperson said that the probes are the result of allegations of safety and health violations at “several Amazon facilities.”

An Amazon spokesperson told CNBC that the company intends to cooperate with OSHA and its investigations.“We believe it will ultimately show that these concerns are unfounded,” the spokesperson said.

Concerns about worker safety in Amazon facilities have been growing for several years as the company continues its conquest of America’s retail and logistics sectors.

Read more at CNBC here.

Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan