Shillong, August 17: An investigation by Wired has uncovered that first-aid clinics at Amazon warehouses, known as AmCare, have allegedly been directing injured employees to return to work, potentially leading to further harm.
Recent Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigations and interviews with on-site medical representatives (OMRs) reveal concerns about the system prioritizing work over appropriate medical attention.
OMRs, often emergency medical technicians, claimed to have been encouraged to provide in-house treatment instead of referring workers to proper medical care. One EMT stated, “Everything that we were doing was kind of pseudo-medical, enough to have the gloss of being medical.” This practice contradicts standard medical procedures that prioritize getting individuals to definitive medical care.
The report highlights that AmCare staff lack qualifications to diagnose and treat injuries, officially providing only basic first aid. Amazon defended its practices, disputing the allegations of intentionally delaying or discouraging employees from seeking necessary medical care.
OSHA issued Amazon a citation in April for medical mismanagement, marking the third citation in the agency’s history, indicating serious endangerment of employees’ health. Prior warnings about AmCare’s practices date back to 2016.
Amazon’s safety report for 2022 claimed a 23% reduction in recordable injuries for US workers between 2019 and 2022.