Many Coloradans are noticing the increasing presence of delivery vehicles in their neighborhoods as many households have shifted to ordering more supplies online amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Amazon Delivery Service Partners (DSPs) function as third-party contractors and operate independent businesses that enable Amazon to fulfill the rapidly expanding demand for delivered packages throughout the United States.
We’ve analyzed our claims data to identify trends and provide safety education for this rapidly growing industry and found these essential workers face their own unique workplace hazards.
Pinnacol’s analysis of its Amazon DSP workforce claims in Colorado revealed the most common worker injury causes in the past year were:
1. Slips, trips and falls.
2. Strains (muscle, such as twisting).
3. Environment (such as dog bites).
4. Vehicle (accidents).
5. Strikes (i.e., a worker striking an object, such as a fence post).
Pinnacol estimates Amazon DSP drivers experience “slip and fall” and animal-related injuries more commonly than other delivery drivers in Colorado. Pinnacol’s occupational safety experts attribute this to the industry’s relative newness and increased demand due to the pandemic. They also saw a high incidence of strain injuries, which is expected among employees who handle so many packages per day. All of these injuries can be minimized or prevented with appropriate awareness and training programs.
“These drivers can face a myriad of workplace hazards as they enter such a high volume of homes, buildings and other environments on every single shift,” said Pinnacol Safety Consultant Randy Philabaum. “These can include cluttered porches, aggressive animals and slippery sidewalks.”
Pinnacol also found that the explosive growth in this industry could be undermining employee safety. Sixty-eight percent of injuries for DSPs happen in the first six months on the job, and 93% of injuries happen in the first year of employment, more than double than what Pinnacol observes in other industries.
Pinnacol safety experts stress the importance of a rigorous onboarding program that includes safety training such as lifting techniques, exiting and entering the vehicle safely, and safe driving. Employees should be expected to perform regular vehicle inspections and pre-work stretching routines and use winter traction cleats daily.
Also, Philabaum noted, “Feeling hurried and rushing is a hazard in any work environment but could be especially impactful among these workers, who must complete many stops every shift. Employers should balance their expectations of employees working quickly with expectations that they work at a pace that is safe and sustainable.”
Philabaum says every Amazon customer can help out these important workers and help keep them safe by taking simple precautions such as:
Pinnacol offers free workplace safety resources to all Colorado employers on fall prevention, winter weather safety, safe lifting techniques, driving safety and animal safety. We’re also offering a free virtual safety consultation to any business in the state.