More than 1,400 ambulances were called to Amazon warehouses over a five-year period, according to new figures.
New statistics uncovered by The Observer have called into question workplace safety at e-commerce giants across the UK, with the GMB union calling the new findings “shocking”.
Amazon warehouses in Dunfermline and Bristol topped the list for ambulance call-outs, recording 161 and 125 respectively over a five-year period.
Of the times the Scottish Ambulance Service attended the Dunfermline scene, a third were related to chest pains, while others involved cases of seizures, strokes and breathing difficulties.
A third of Scottish Ambulance Service calls to Amazon’s Dunfermline site were related to chest pains, with other calls recorded for seizures, strokes and breathing problems.
According to new figures, more than 1,400 ambulances were called to Amazon warehouses over a five-year period (pictured: an Amazon facility in Sutton)
Amazon warehouses in Dunfermline and Bristol topped the list for ambulance callouts, recording 161 and 125 respectively over a five-year period (file image)
Elsewhere in the Mansfield branch, 84 ambulance calls have been made since 2019 alone.
More than 70 percent of the calls were for category one or two incidents, which are among the most serious, such as heart attacks or strokes.
Amazon workplaces in Chesterfield, Mansfield, Rugeley, London and Bolton and several others experienced psychiatric incidents or suicide attempts.
Several sites also reported cases of staff suffering miscarriages and pregnancy-related incidents in the workplace, as well as suspected heart attacks and traumatic bodily injuries.
Other incidents involved workers who were exposed to hazardous acids and gases, suffered severe electrocutions or suffered significant burns over large areas of their bodies.
The current figures are believed to be an underestimate as the 12 ambulance services surveyed did not have full figures for all 30 Amazon warehouses, the Observer reports.
GMB organiser Amanda Gearing said while the figures were “shocking”, they were not a surprise.
It has urged health and safety executives, as well as local councils, to launch investigations into the conglomerates’ workplace safety standards.
“Amazon workers are systematically forced to exceed the limits of human endurance,” he said. The Guardian.
‘They are forced to work towards a hidden goal that is not based on a secure job, but on a Hunger Games algorithm.’
‘Even these worryingly high numbers may obscure how common injuries and illnesses are at Amazon.
The current figures are believed to be an underestimate as the 12 ambulance services surveyed did not have full figures for all 30 Amazon warehouses (pictured: Amazon staff on strike outside a warehouse in Warrington last July)
“We know from our members in Amazon warehouses that first responders are actively discouraged from calling ambulances, and instead told to take taxis.”
Martha Dark, director of Foxglove, a nonprofit that helps Amazon workers, also shares her thoughts.
“Once again we see how dangerous it is to work at Amazon,” he said.
“That so many workers are transported in ambulances simply for doing their jobs is unacceptable and highlights Amazon’s disregard for proper health and safety.”
MailOnline has contacted Amazon for comment.
