As investigations mount, injured worker describes Amazon’s toll
Kali Kennelly went to work for Amazon hoping for a steady income to provide for her two sons and a chance to climb the ranks at a company that touts upward mobility for its warehouse workers.
Six months into her new stint, though, Kennelly suffered a head injury after falling packages hit her, causing a concussion that has been slow to improve. After Amazon management pushed back on accommodations that her doctor said would keep her safe, Kennelly has been living on workers’ compensation benefits that amount to a fraction of her normal paycheck.
Now, Kennelly rarely leaves her room in the Federal Way, Washington, apartment she’s at risk of losing.
“When I first started, I loved it there. I loved going to work every night. It was nothing like it is now,” said Kennelly, 38. “Now, it’s like I have to fight myself to get up.”
Injuries like Kennelly’s have come up before. Amazon is facing workplace safety investigations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Washington’s Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Justice. Earlier this year, after roughly six months of inspections, OSHA determined Amazon failed to keep its workers safe. It pointed to, among other things, the weight of items handled by workers, awkward motions like twisting, bending and lifting, and long hours.
At one facility in Illinois, workers were struck by packages weighing more than 50 pounds, OSHA found in a review of injury reports. In a Florida warehouse, workers were hit by objects that were improperly stacked.
OSHA cited Amazon for that hazard in Florida and proposed a $13,400 fine. But inspectors stopped short of doing so in Illinois. The acting area director wrote in a letter that “no OSHA standard applies.” But, the letter continued, Amazon should “voluntarily take necessary steps” to eliminate the risk.
Amazon is appealing and said it is inappropriate to draw a comparison between that site and the Kent, Washington, warehouse where Kennelly works.
“At any work environment where employees are moving, packing or unpacking a significant number of items, there’s a risk of those items becoming dislodged,” spokesperson Maureen Lynch Vogel said. “We do everything we can to reduce that risk.”
Kennelly went to her personal physician the day after her injury, according to a doctor’s note viewed by The Seattle Times. That physician recommended limits on her work, including not lifting packages weighing more than 15 pounds. Kennelly said she brought the note to Amazon that day.
In response to Kennelly’s claims, Amazon said its safety team investigated the incident and could not find any video footage or witnesses to substantiate the events.
“The story Ms. Kennelly is telling The Seattle Times is inconsistent with the story she told our team,” Vogel said. “Ms. Kennelly did not immediately report the alleged injury — a protocol she was familiar with. During our investigation, we found no evidence to corroborate her claims, but nonetheless worked to accommodate her.”