https://gizmodo.com/warehouse-collapse-i...1848202992
INTRO: A 1.1 million-square-foot Amazon warehouse that collapsed in Edwardsville, Illinois was among the buildings hit by a series of deadly tornadoes on Friday that swept across six states, killing dozens of people. The tragedy has put Amazon under scrutiny for purportedly not allowing its warehouse workers to have their cell phones with them at work.
A Bloomberg report published on Sunday provided a glimpse of employee sentiment about the company’s cell phone ban after the incident in Edwardsville, which killed at least six Amazon warehouse workers. The outlet spoke to five Amazon employees, some of whom work in a company facility across the street from the Edwardsville warehouse, who said they want to be able to receive information about deadly weather events through their smartphones.
The Edwardsville warehouse had its roof ripped off by a tornado, which caused its 11-inch thick concrete walls to collapse on themselves. At least 45 Amazon workers made it out safely from the rubble, Reuters reported. The warehouse employs approximately 190 workers across multiple shifts, Amazon said.
According to Bloomberg, Amazon has prohibited employees from carrying their phones with them and requires them to leave the devices in their cars or work lockers. The company loosened its policy during the pandemic, the outlet reported, but has been slowly reinstating the ban in facilities throughout the U.S.
An unnamed worker from another Amazon facility in Illinois told Bloomberg that having their phone with them on the warehouse floor would allow them to contact their loved ones or emergency responders if they become trapped after an extreme weather event.
“After these deaths, there is no way in hell I am relying on Amazon to keep me safe,” the worker said. “If they institute the no cell phone policy, I am resigning.”
A worker at an Amazon warehouse in Indiana echoed the concerns about safety... (MORE - details)
INTRO: A 1.1 million-square-foot Amazon warehouse that collapsed in Edwardsville, Illinois was among the buildings hit by a series of deadly tornadoes on Friday that swept across six states, killing dozens of people. The tragedy has put Amazon under scrutiny for purportedly not allowing its warehouse workers to have their cell phones with them at work.
A Bloomberg report published on Sunday provided a glimpse of employee sentiment about the company’s cell phone ban after the incident in Edwardsville, which killed at least six Amazon warehouse workers. The outlet spoke to five Amazon employees, some of whom work in a company facility across the street from the Edwardsville warehouse, who said they want to be able to receive information about deadly weather events through their smartphones.
The Edwardsville warehouse had its roof ripped off by a tornado, which caused its 11-inch thick concrete walls to collapse on themselves. At least 45 Amazon workers made it out safely from the rubble, Reuters reported. The warehouse employs approximately 190 workers across multiple shifts, Amazon said.
According to Bloomberg, Amazon has prohibited employees from carrying their phones with them and requires them to leave the devices in their cars or work lockers. The company loosened its policy during the pandemic, the outlet reported, but has been slowly reinstating the ban in facilities throughout the U.S.
An unnamed worker from another Amazon facility in Illinois told Bloomberg that having their phone with them on the warehouse floor would allow them to contact their loved ones or emergency responders if they become trapped after an extreme weather event.
“After these deaths, there is no way in hell I am relying on Amazon to keep me safe,” the worker said. “If they institute the no cell phone policy, I am resigning.”
A worker at an Amazon warehouse in Indiana echoed the concerns about safety... (MORE - details)