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Partially collapsed Amazon distribution center in Edwardsville, Illinois (December 11th)
Photo: Michael Thomas / Getty Images
The online retailer Amazon is already under criticism after the collapse of a warehouse in the state of Illinois during the tornado catastrophe in the USA last week: Six people died in the distribution center, it is questionable whether the company had responded appropriately to the threat and whether the employees had received adequate civil protection training. Text messages published by the Bloomberg news agency between a parcel driver and her manager suggest that employees working for Amazon have even been actively prevented from getting to safety.
According to Bloomberg, the text message conversation between the driver, who worked from the affected distribution center in Edwardsville and was about 50 kilometers away, according to an insider, and her manager began about 80 minutes before the storm collapsed the warehouse. "The radio is down," wrote the driver. "Okay, just keep going," replied the manager, "we can't just bring people back because of a warning unless Amazon tells us to."
About half an hour later, the driver reports to her supervisor again, this time much more worried. "This is where the tornado alarm goes off," she writes. "Just keep delivering for the time being," she receives in response, "we have to wait for an announcement from Amazon." This time the driver is not satisfied with these instructions: "How about if I drive back for my own safety?" All the buildings around her are locked, there is no way to get to safety on site. Your van is threatening to become a coffin. "I have another hour to deliver and the radar says I'll be in the middle of the worst storm in 30 minutes."
The manager warns the driver that she could lose her job: If she wants to come back, that is her decision, but it will not be interpreted as a concern for her safety. "If you decide to go back with the parcels, you will be interpreted as a refusal to work, which will ultimately mean that you will not have a job tomorrow." stuck in that damn van with no safe space around. ' The supervisor replies: "Amazon says take you to safety on site."
Shortly afterwards, the superior finally realizes the seriousness of the situation: “You have to get to safety on site. The wind just swept through the camp, tore open the front door and destroyed it. Even if you come back here, you can't get in. You have to stop and get to safety. "
An Amazon spokeswoman shifted the responsibility to the driver's superior - both are not directly employed by Amazon, but by a subcontractor, a so-called delivery service partner. Unfortunately, this partner's dispatcher “did not adhere to the standard safety regulations”. The superior should have "immediately instructed the driver to get to safety as soon as she reported the tornado alarm". The Amazon team on site ensured "that each delivery service partner had instructed its drivers to get to safety or to seek protection and to advise them to stop deliveries for that evening."
The Amazon spokeswoman added that they were happy that the driver survived the tornado and that the lessons learned from the incident were used to improve the regulations for delivery service partners and their drivers.
Under no circumstances should the driver's supervisor have threatened the loss of her job.
The incident is being investigated and consequences will be drawn if necessary.
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