At least six people were killed when an Amazon warehouse in Illinois collapsed after it was hit by a tornado. The retail giant is being criticized for not allowing workers to carry their mobile phones on the warehouse floor, preventing them from receiving weather warnings.
According to a report, Amazon has been slowly reinstating its policy of banning mobile phones in its warehouses. It is possible that Amazon's warehouse workers will have to leave their phones in lockers as well as clear metal detectors.
Several Amazon workers have pointed out that the company's anti-phone policy cuts them off from important information such as weather safety warnings. In the event of a disaster, workers may not be able to quickly contact emergency services or their loved ones because of their lack of phones.
A worker at Amazon said that everyone is afraid of not being able to keep their phones on.
The worker said that most of their colleagues wanted to keep their phones for emergencies. They're required to work quickly to meet productivity targets, so there's not much time for scrolling through the twits.
The Strategic Organizing Center wrote earlier this year that the company's obsession with speed has come at a huge cost for its workforce. The study found that Amazon warehouse workers are more likely to be injured than other warehouse workers, with the rate of serious injuries almost 80 percent higher.
Two men died in a Baltimore warehouse in the summer of last year, when a tornado caused a collapse at an Amazon warehouse in Illinois.
"After these deaths, there is no way in hell that I am going to rely on Amazon to keep me safe," an Amazon worker from another state said. I will resign if they institute a no cell phone policy.
Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, sent his thoughts and prayers to the families of the dead workers.
Blue Origin sent six passengers on a joyride to space.
It's possible that Tweet has been deleted.
"We're deeply sad about the deaths of members of our Amazon family as a result of the storm in Illinois," said Kelly Nantel in a statement. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their loved ones, and everyone impacted by the tornado. We want to thank the first responders for their continued efforts. We are providing support to our employees and partners in the area.
Amazon wouldn't comment on the reason behind its anti-phone policy or whether it had been in place at the collapsed Illinois warehouse. The company did not say if it would continue to enforce the policy at its facilities.
Employees and drivers are allowed to carry their mobile phones, according to Amazon. According to a report by the New York Times, only seven people were full-time employees at the Illinois warehouse, with most of them being contract delivery drivers.
