An investigation has revealed hundreds of Amazon workers have been seriously injured or narrowly escaped an accident – including employees in the south west.
The company, owned by the richest man in the world, has previously faced criticism for its alleged mistreatment of staff and dehumanising work.
New figures obtained by the GMB trade union now reveal that local authorities received 622 accident reports involving Amazon warehouses during the past three years.
The shocking statistics were obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, Mirror Online reports.
While incidents in the south west were relatively low at eight, other regions have experienced dozens of accidents from 2016 onwards.
The cases include an employee at a Manchester warehouse who fractured their hand after their fingers got caught in between the station sliding gate and the surrounding gate support.
A worker at Bardon Hill, in Leicestershire, suffered internal bruising after being knocked down and wedged under a heavy goods vehicle.
According to the union, there were six incidents at a Bristol warehouse in Cabot Park from 2017 and two at a warehouse in Swindon, making up the eight cases reported in the south west.
The new Amazon distribution centre in Severn Beach is not included in the data as it only opened in July last year.
The union are now calling for a parliamentary enquiry into working conditions at the retail giant.
Mick Rix, GMB national officer, said: “Amazon are spending millions on PR campaigns trying to persuade people its warehouses are great places to work.
“But the facts are there for all to see – things are getting worse.
“Hundreds of stricken Amazon workers are needing urgent medical attention. Conditions are hellish.
“We’ve tried over and over again to get Amazon to talk to use to try and improve safety for workers. But enough is enough – it’s now time for a full parliamentary enquiry.”
Amazon statement
Addressing the union’s concerns, a spokesman for Amazon said: “Amazon is a safe place to work. Yet again, our critics seem determined to paint a false picture of what it’s like to work for Amazon.
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“They repeat the same sensationalised allegations time and time again.
“Our doors are open to the public, to politicians, and indeed to anyone who truly wants to see the modern, innovate and, most importantly, safe environment we provide to our people.
“The fact is we benchmark against UK national data, published by the Health & Safety Executive, confirming we have over 40% fewer injuries on average than other transportation and warehousing businesses in the UK.”
