Amazon will pay $145,000 in fines and make major changes to how it does business in warehouses to settle worker safety allegations brought by the federal government.
The changes will affect Amazon’s facilities in Aurora and Colorado Springs.
The settlement requires Amazon to assess and fix potential risks at its facilities, improve training for workers on safe practices, and provide accessible methods for employees to report safety concerns — including the option to remain anonymous.
The settlement follows a two-year federal investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that revealed that the corporate giant exposed workers to serious injury risks through strenuous tasks and long hours.
Workers at 10 Amazon warehouses — including the facilities in Aurora and Colorado Springs — were found to face tasks involving awkward twisting, bending, and reaching to lift items, as well as frequent heavy lifting and working long hours to meet their workloads. These findings stemmed from inspections that began in summer 2022, which led to 10 federal cases originally set to go to trial between January and June 2025.
This is not the first time Amazon has faced investigations and lawsuits regarding worker safety and violating labor laws in Colorado.
In 2023, current and former delivery drivers filed a proposed class action lawsuit against the tech giant alleging that Amazon’s “inhumane” work pace and driver tracking technology prevents workers from taking state-required rest breaks — forcing the drivers to defecate in plastic bags and water bottles to keep up with the company’s performance metrics.
In 2021, another class action lawsuit was filed against Amazon by a former employee who claimed Amazon did not pay her and other hourly workers for time spent taking COVID screenings on the job.
Amazon officials could not be reached for comment.
