BAD NEWS MEMO

Increasing Employee Safety by Implementing Safety Training Programs at Amazon Warehouses

Writing 394 6362

6/25/2021

Date: June 25, 2021

To: Erik Johnson, Human Resource Agent at Amazon

From: Jordan Jones, Seasonal Team Lead Shift Member, Ashburn VA

Subject: Increasing Employee Safety by Implementing Safety Training Programs at Amazon Warehouses

I have enclosed the requested report that details information regarding the earlier memo which discusses my observations regarding the increase in employee injuries due to improper and/or lack of training on the equipment used in the warehouses. This report also includes secondary research on the way that lack of training and improper training can have a negative effect on the employee’s physical health, the productivity of the warehouse, and the financial wellbeing of the company. Along with that information, this report includes the benefits of having employees being properly trained on the use of warehouse equipment. Recommendations of a new hire safety training program as well as continuous training have been included as well. The proposed benefits of my recommendations include increased physical health of employees as well as increased productivity of the company overall. I appreciate you taking the time to consider this proposal. If I can be of further assistance or can provide clarifying information, please reach out to me. I am looking forward to your feedback and opinions on this report and I hope that an implementation of my recommendations will be possible for the benefit of all involved.

Executive Summary

Purpose and method of this report

As a shift member of Amazon, it is typical to work in large warehouses with a multitude of tools, machines, and other items that could potentially prove to be a safety hazard if not used properly. During my time working in Amazon warehouses, I have seen several dozen injuries occur due to improper or lack of training in the appropriate use of the equipment. This has led to lack of overall productivity and efficiency as well as profit loss due to increased payments of workers compensation as well as smaller numbers of employees on the job. The purpose of this report is to:

· discuss ways in which improper or no training leads to safety hazards on the job, and

· propose ways in which to implement better safety protocols, procedures, and trainings to keep employees safe, while also increasing the profit and productivity of the company

Findings and conclusions

Based on the research done, it can be shown that no training or improper training can cause an employee to misuse the equipment provided in the warehouses. Due to misuse of equipment, employees have higher rates of slips, falls, cuts, and other events that lead to the company paying out large amounts of money in workers compensation. These events cause employees to be out of work for as little as a few days up until months. The productivity within the warehouse decreases, because the company typically will not find a replacement for the employee while they are out.

It can be concluded that the benefits of having proper training will be beneficial to the physical health of the employees, as well as the overall financial health of the company.

Recommendations

Recommendations for improved safety training are as follows:

· Creating a safety training program and having employees complete the program during initial training.

· Creating training videos that employees always have access to.

· Ensuring that safety protocols are continuously being enforced and review on a regular basis by all employees.

Table of Contents

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………..5

Background………………………………………………………………………………..5

Purpose…………………………………………………………………………………….5

Overview of methodology………………………………………………………………...5

Findings and Discussions………………………………………………………………………….6

Impact of improper safety training on employees….……………………………………..6

Impact of improper safety training on company…………………………………………..6

Benefits of a proper safety training……………………………………………………….6

Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………...7

Recommendations…………………………………………………………………………………7 

References…………………………………………………………………………………………8

Introduction

Background 

A current problem faced by Amazon is that employees are becoming injured on the job on a daily basis because they do not know the proper safety protocols and have a lack of safety training. This lack of knowledge on safety can create many issues for Amazon. Issues may include being unable to meet certain quotas expected for the company, multiple injured workers, and ultimately giving Amazon a bad reputation by not protecting employees on the job.

At the Amazon company, productivity is key, and employees must always be reliable as well as quick in regard to getting a task done. If employees are injured in any way, they cannot perform tasks up to par with a healthy employee. Amazon is a company that prides itself on delivering packages in optimal time with Amazon’s Prime program. When multiple injuries are occurring daily, for safety reasons that could have been avoided, the lack of production from injuries will prohibit the company in meeting customers satisfaction.

Overall, it is essential for Amazon to protect its workers, and implementing safety training videos and safety protocols within the warehouses will help to allow the company to meet quotas and protect their dedicated employees from injuries.

Purpose

The purpose of this research was to identify the type of impact improper safety training can have on employees as well as the company as a whole. The research wanted to also focus on if creating a standard training protocol would remedy the issues faced at warehouses with improper or no safety training. Recommendations for the company were then made based on how the research was analyzed.

Overview of methodology

Primary research was not done for the purposes of this report. Instead, the focus was on secondary research to help support my recommendations. In order to better understand the problem and help create a recommendation the following was done:

· Secondary research was conducted on the impacts of improper safety training in the workplace.

· Secondary research was conducted in order to determine how a lack of safety training would potentially impact a company.

· Secondary research was analyzed in order to create the best recommendations that would benefit the company as well as its employees in the warehouse.

Findings and Discussions

Impacts of improper safety training on employees

When starting a new job, typically, a hiring or training manager of some sort is available to onboard new hires. Besides all the paperwork, this usually involves some type of orientation and training. Although most jobs say that they have a new-hire training program to often in companies, the training may be rushed or incomplete to quickly get new employees working. This rush in getting employees to begin to work usually is due to being short staffed, and the negative outcome is a lot of the training gets pushed to the side or not covered.

According to Occupational Safety and Health Administration, “Despite great strides in improving OSH during the past century, an estimated 317 million nonfatal occupational injuries and 321,000 occupational fatalities occur globally each year, that is, 151 workers sustain a work-related accident every 15 seconds” (Abdalla, 2017). These numbers are staggering, especially considering occupational injuries could be avoided. Imagine if there were more emphasis on workplace safety-starting with how employees are trained.

Impacts of improper safety training on company

The negative outcomes of improper safety training on a company are vast. While most companies factor employee related payouts such as workers compensation into their budgets, no company is prepared to for the long lasting negative financial effects of multiple employees being injured without another employee to replace their workload. Or even employee lawsuits due to proven claims that an employer may be responsible for the employees’ injuries. It has been reported that many companies are losing out on not just millions but trillions when it comes to workplace injuries. According to the National Safety Council, “The total number of injuries in the United States during 2017 were 41.2 million, which cost companies over $1 trillion” (Elliot, 2020). Looking at even more recent data from the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS, 2021), a workplace accident that results in an employee being off the job for six or more days can cost a company over $1 billion a week in workers compensation alone. That does not include the money being paid out in overtime to employees having to pick up the slack of the missing employee.

Looking at the financial loss due to improper safety training can be devastating to a company, but the financial set back can also lead to the company getting a bad reputation, which could also cause a decline in available candidates for potential jobs. Think about it, when looking for a new job opportunity would your first choice be a company that is well known for having numerous employee injuries?

Benefits of proper safety training practices

When a company show’s that they value their employee’s health and safety, not only can it increase potential candidate base, but it also builds a trusting relationship between the employer and employee. Also, with companies showing value in safety it promotes productivity and a long-lasting company. According to the National Safety Council or NSA, “Companies that value safety training understand that creating a work environment centered around employee safety and health represents an investment in its greatest resource and an opportunity to increase productivity and performance for the long term” (Ali, 2018).

Conclusion

Amazon, being one of the most popular shopping destinations globally, has done a great job focusing on marketing, products, and customer satisfaction. I believe that the focus should on employees just as much as customers. At Amazon’s warehouses, we are currently facing daily issues involving work-related injuries that could easily be avoided with better safety training. Amazon, like all other companies, wants their company to thrive in all aspects; but this cannot happen if the focus is only on customers. Proper safety training for all employees is crucial. This could be in the form of extensive safety training upon hire from the training manager. After being employed for a set period of time and demonstrating proper safety protocols, employees would benefit from monthly refreshers that help to promote safety and accountability. The use of industry standard safety videos and webinars would allow for employees to receive the same training, while the training manager can always answer any additional questions that employees may have. The safety training for employees will benefit employees, the company, and even customers by creating a ripple effect of positivity, growth as a company, more wealth as a company, and most importantly lower the rate of injuries at Amazon warehouses.

Recommendations

At Amazon, the company as whole will benefit a great deal from my proposed recommendations and research on the issue at hand. My research will help the human resources department better understand the current issue in depth and how crucial it is to consider the recommendations at hand. Also, implementing this update improved safety training will better help the company meet deadlines, quotas, and lower or even eliminate all possible injuries at Amazon warehouses.

My recommendations will increase employee trust with Amazon. Current employees will feel safer in the warehouse environment, and it could also entice people looking for jobs to consider working for Amazon knowing that company cares about its employees’ safety and well-being. Finally, the human resource department will benefit from not having as many complaints and safety incidents occurring daily.

When employees are happy, the customers of Amazon will benefit from the company providing proper safety protocol training videos and webinars. Customers who pay for fast shipping or are a part of Amazon Prime services expect speedy service. If employees at warehouses are injured causing them to not perform to their full potential, or not even come into work- this slows down production a great deal. With production not being at its optimal state will cause customers to not receive their packages in a fast and speedy manner.

References

Abdalla, S., Apramian, S., Cantley, L., & Cullen, M. (2017, October 27). Occupation and risk

for injuries - Injury prevention and environmental health - NCBI bookshelf. National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK525209/#ch6.ref-list1.cit143

Ali, R., & Blair, E. (2018). SAFETY TRAINING REVISITED: Effective Design & Delivery. Professional Safety, 63(6), 57–60.

Elliot, K. (2020). Influencing workplace safety through educational training. https://go.gale.com/ps/anonymous?id=GALE%7CA628285356&sid=googleSch olar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=00263451&p=AONE&sw=w

Herrera-Sánchez, I. M., León-Pérez, J. M., & León-Rubio, J. M. (2017). Steps to Ensure a Successful Implementation of Occupational Health and Safety Interventions at an Organizational Level. Frontiers in psychology, 8, 2135. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02135

Mahan, B., Morawetz, J., Ruttenberg, R., & Workman, R. (2013). Workplace safety and health improvements through a labor/management training and collaboration. New solutions : a journal of environmental and occupational health policy : NS, 23(4), 561–576. https://doi.org/10.2190/NS.23.4.c

Nielsen K. J., Kines P., Pedersen L. M., Andersen L. P. S., Andersen D. R. (2015). A multi-case study of the implementation of an integrated approach to safety in small enterprises. Saf. Sci. 71 142–150. 10.1016/j.ssci.2013.11.015 

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2021). U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Bls.gov. https://www.bls.gov/

Weinstock, D., & Slatin, C. (2012). Learning to take action: the goals of health and safety training. New solutions : a journal of environmental and occupational health policy : NS, 22(3), 255–267. https://doi.org/10.2190/NS.22.3.b