Over the past five years, there have been more than 1,400 ambulance dispatches to Amazon warehouses, a figure that has been described as shocking by the GMB trade union. This raises concerns about the safety of Amazon’s UK workplaces.
The Dunfermline and Bristol Amazon centers had the highest number of ambulance attendees in the UK, with 161 and 125 respectively during the period.
In Dunfermline, a third of Scottish Ambulance Service call-outs were for chest pain, along with incidents related to convulsions, strokes, and breathing difficulties.
Since 2019, Amazon Mansfield has had 84 ambulance calls, with over 70% of them being for serious incidents such as heart attacks and strokes.
Accidents related to pregnancy, miscarriages, traumatic injuries, and suspected heart attacks have been reported at some Amazon sites, as well as exposure to harmful substances and severe burns.
The data was obtained through freedom of information requests to 12 emergency services covering more than 30 Amazon sites. However, the actual numbers may be higher as complete data was not available for all sites.
GMB staff campaigned for union recognition outside an Amazon warehouse in Coventry. Photo: Fabio De Paola/The Guardian
In Coventry, Amazon workers and GMB union members narrowly lost a crucial union recognition vote amid allegations of intimidation by the company.
Amanda Gearing, a GMB organizer, called for investigations into Amazon’s working practices, citing the shocking figures as evidence of unsafe working conditions.
Martha Dark from Foxglove emphasized the danger of working at Amazon, criticizing the company’s disregard for safety.
Workers work at an Amazon fulfillment center in Peterborough ahead of the store’s annual Black Friday sales. Photo: Daniel Leal Olivas/AFP/Getty Images
An Amazon spokesperson denied claims of dangerous working conditions, stating that safety is a top priority and ambulances are always called for emergencies.
The spokesperson also refuted claims that ambulances were not called, emphasizing that the majority of calls were for pre-existing conditions, not work-related incidents.
They encouraged individuals to visit Amazon fulfillment centers to see the truth for themselves.
Source: www.theguardian.com
