Amazon has increased safety measures and employee training efforts in anticipation of the increase in business as the holiday season approaches.
Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days, from October 8 to 9, 2024, kicks off the holiday shopping season with two days of exclusive deals for Prime members on a wide variety of top brands, according to an About Amazon blogpost. This event, spanning 19 countries, features discounts on popular items like electronics, toys, fashion, and home goods.
Prime Big Deal Days is a popular event for holiday shoppers looking for early savings, meaning Amazon's fulfillment centers and delivery stations are operating at full capacity to ensure timely and safe deliveries.
Amazon’s fulfillment centers and delivery stations begin preparations months in advance, according to Jae, a Senior Operations Manager. Fulfillment centers are responsible for picking, packing, and shipping orders, while delivery stations ensure packages are sorted and dispatched to drivers.
Navy veteran and Amazon executive Sarah Rhoads, who leads Amazon's Global Workplace Health and Safety, brings her experience as a Navy fighter pilot to managing operations and keeping employees safe during peak events. "Safety and engagement” is a “top priority,” Rhoads said. Her leadership emphasizes a "crawl, walk, run" approach to safety, mirroring the gradual training process she underwent in the Navy.
With over 9,000 safety professionals, Amazon has made strides in reducing workplace injuries, achieving a 30% improvement in the Recordable Incident Rate (RIR) and a 60% reduction in the Lost Time Incident Rate (LTIR) over the past four years, according to Rhoads.
To foster a strong safety culture, Amazon encourages employee feedback through tools like Dragonfly, which allows workers to report safety concerns. The company has also enhanced its focus on ergonomics and has implemented technologies to mitigate musculoskeletal disorders. To handle the surge in demand during Prime Big Deal Days, Amazon hires and trains additional workers while ramping up safety measures across all facilities. Fulfillment centers are equipped with ergonomic tools, and employees receive training on safe operations in high-traffic areas. Amazon also runs regular emergency drills and site-wide reviews to ensure that everyone knows how to respond to potential disruptions.