This article is part of a multipart MBJ investigation into the working conditions at local warehouses and the regulation of those conditions by state and local agencies. Click here for the primary story, here to read about a local PFSweb warehouse, and here to read about two local FedEx facilities.
Multiple workers from Amazon’s warehouse at 3292 E. Holmes Road in Memphis contacted the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) in late March and early April to complain of the virus spreading there, and a lack of proper safety measures.
One March complainant said two workers had COVID and were still working. Another told TOSHA in the same set of complaints, “Employees are scared.”
In a set of April complaints, a Holmes Amazon worker alleged, “[O]ur health [is] at stake we have families we know we have to work but at least clean the place properly.”
Another worker said there were 30 COVID cases at the site — at a time when Shelby County had about 1,300 total — and the company wasn’t enforcing social distance or cleaning properly. “[I]t’s impossible to remain 6 feet from one another during a 10-hour shift,” the employee said.
TOSHA notified the e-commerce giant April 13 about the latest allegations as part of its standard response to complaints.
Amazon responded that it was aware of five COVID cases, not 30. The company inspected its facility and audited its policies, reporting back that it had increased cleaning; provided personal protective equipment and masks; checked temperatures at the door; and adjusted social distancing practices.
“Thus, we disagree with the allegations that social distancing is not possible, has not been implemented, and that associates must work within 6 feet of another,” Amazon told TOSHA April 20.
After reviewing Amazon’s response, TOSHA closed the complaint file April 27.
MBJ requested the correspondence, but Amazon’s answers were redacted in full. After a lawyer representing MBJ requested the documents, TOSHA provided heavily redacted versions of the company’s replies.
Amazon spokesperson Maria Boschetti told MBJ in September the company has “implemented 150 significant process changes on COVID-19 safety measures by purchasing items like masks, hand sanitizer, thermal cameras, thermometers, sanitizing wipes, gloves, additional hand-washing stations, and adding disinfectant spraying in buildings.”
Amazon also said it has started testing some employees at the Holmes facility and is using a “distance assistant” camera and monitor to “provide employees with live feedback on social distancing.” It planned to install 11 more of these “assistants” there.
A local worker who talked to MBJ on the condition of anonymity, said he was appreciative that testing has been made available, and the company has done a good job of enforcing masking.
But, he said at least 200 employees — possibly as many as 400 — have contracted the virus as of October, and social distance monitoring was only done at the front of the warehouse, not in the back, where most of the work occurs. His complaint about lack of social distancing was corroborated by what some of his coworkers have posted on social media.
Some other employees, though, painted less dire pictures for MBJ, saying they were grateful to have work, and the company was working hard to keep them safe.
Bloomberg reported in July that at least one employee at the Holmes facility had been allowed to work after reporting headaches, a runny nose, and a loss of smell.
“We feel like sitting ducks,” a worker there said. “We don’t want to get sick or threaten our children and our families, and we feel like they are playing around with our lives.”
One Amazon employee reached out to the Shelby County Health Department (SCHD) in June. In an email obtained by MBJ, SCHD supervisor Sonja Owens told colleagues she thought an investigation was warranted.
“[The manager] stated just yesterday that they are sanitizing, social distancing, and wearing mask. I continue to ask about the number of cases they have, but he continues to say that the employees are bringing it in from outside of Amazon. I think an investigation there would be good,” she wrote.
The emails didn’t clarify what came of the recommendation. SCHD health officer Dr. Bruce Randolph said he didn’t know what happened, and SCHD didn’t respond to further questions about it from MBJ.