Workers at the warehouse had only about 10 minutes to prepare before the tornado hit. A megaphone that was supposed to activate the site’s shelter-in-place procedure was locked in a cage and not accessible.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Tuesday sent a “Hazard Alert Letter” to the Seattle-based e-commerce giant on Tuesday following the agency’s investigation into the deadly collapse of a company warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois in December. Six people died and another was critically injured in the tornado strike.
In interviews with Amazon and contract workers, OSHA officials found some employees couldn’t recall ever participating in severe weather drills, or the location of the facility’s shelter. Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokesperson, however, said employees receive emergency response training, which is “reinforced throughout the year.”
But some employees unaware of the designated tornado shelter — a restroom located in the northern portion of the building — went to a separate restroom in the hard-hit south end, the agency said. All the injured and killed had taken shelter in the south side bathroom. In the inspection, the agency said it also reviewed contractor safety and training records as well as the facility’s written “Emergency Action Plan.” Officials took issue with the plan, writing in the letter it “was not customized with specific instructions” for hazards expected at the Edwardsville site.
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