More accidents are taking place in Amazon's fulfilment centres due to the use of robots. The etailer claimed for years that robotics made the work safer. However, the opposite is true, according to research by the Center for Investigative Reporting.
The centre collected figures from Amazon's 150 logistics centres over the past four years. These show that in an average warehouse of the internet giant, there is a 50 per cent higher chance of serious accidents when robots are driving around.
Double the number of accidents
Amazon reported 14,000 serious accidents last year. That is, accidents that led to sick leave or work restrictions. The total number of accidents was twice the industry average. Around Prime Day 2019, Amazon even reported 400 serious accidents in one day.
'Deception'
Journalist Will Evans, who conducted the investigation, argues that Amazon has been sending opposite signals in recent years to hide its internal safety crisis. Jeff Bezos' company claimed that robots were actually making warehouses safer. In doing so, the public and lawmakers have been fooled, Evans said.
Response Amazon
Amazon does not recognise the allegations. According to the online giant, the number of reported accidents is so high because it encourages employees to report every incident. The number of serious accidents reported is also high because Amazon encourages staff to take time off or temporarily work elsewhere after an incident. The company did not specifically address the claim that robots make the work environment more unsafe.
