Lawyer responds to OSHA not citing Amazon over tornado-hit warehouse collapse

[April 28, 2022]  By Kevin Bessler | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Although no citations will be issued, the U.S. Labor Department has ordered Amazon to review how it responds to severe weather following a deadly warehouse collapse in Illinois.

Six workers were killed and dozens injured when a tornado struck the Edwardsville facility Dec. 10, 2021. The 11-inch concrete walls collapsed and the 40-foot roof caved in, destroying a football field section of the 1 million square foot building.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigators said they concluded that Amazon’s severe weather emergency procedures “met minimal safety guidelines for storm sheltering,” but that a series of safety risks were identified during the investigation.

By interviewing workers, investigators determined some employees did not know the proper location to shelter-in-place.

“The actual audible warning megaphone was locked away,” said Jack Casciato of the Clifford Law Offices, who is representing the family of a delivery driver killed in the accident. “That is comparable to there being a fire and the fire extinguisher is under lock and key.”

Investigators also found the warehouse’s emergency plan did not contain instructions for events that may occur in Edwardsville and instead listed responses to events that rarely or never happen in Southern Illinois, such as a hurricane.

A spokesperson for Amazon, Kelly Nantel, said all employees receive emergency response training, which is reinforced through the year.

“OSHA’s investigation did not find any violations or causes for citations, but we’re constantly looking to innovate and improve our safety measures and have already begun conducting additional safety and emergency preparedness drills at our sites and will carefully consider any OSHA recommendation,” Nantel said in a statement.

There are also questions being raised about the building’s construction. Casciato told reporters earlier this month that a government-mandated structural engineer found numerous support columns in the warehouse that were not properly attached to the ground.

A Hazard Alert Letter recommends areas of improvement at the Edwardsville warehouse, including ensuring all employees are provided training and participate in emergency weather drills.

Amazon is not required to respond to the investigation, and it is not known if there is any follow-up to ensure the company enacts the agency’s recommendations.

“These tragic deaths have sparked discussions nationwide on the vital need for comprehensive workplace emergency plans,” OSHA’s Regional Administrator William Donovan said. “Employers should re-evaluate their emergency plans for the safest shelter-in-place locations and prepare before an emergency to ensure workers know where to go and how to keep themselves safe in the event of a disaster.”

Kevin Bessler reports on statewide issues in Illinois for the Center Square. He has over 30 years of experience in radio news reporting throughout the Midwest.