Almost 50 serious injuries – including broken bones – have been suffered by Amazon workers at its Tilbury warehouse in the past two years, figures show.
The GMB union uncovered figures from Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations that reveal 47 serious injuries including fractured feet, toes and fingers and a string of back complaints, resulting from incidents listed variously as “lifting and handling” and “struck against object”.
Mick Rix, GMB National Officer, said: “The conditions are utterly appalling.
“GMB investigations show how dangerous they are – workers are breaking bones, being knocked unconscious and being taken away in ambulances.”
He called Amazon warehouses “more like Victorian workhouses than modern day workplaces, adding: “Our members are people – not robots.”
An Amazon spokesman said: “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.
“Amazon is a safe place to work.”
