In a year-long investigation into workplace safety at Amazon, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee has found that the annual Prime Day sales event has been a major contributor to warehouse worker injuries. The findings were released by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who chairs the committee.

According to the committee's review, the number of workplace injuries, including muscle sprains, rotator cuff injuries, and herniated disks, reached their peak during Prime Day sales week in 2019. Internal data shared by Amazon with the committee revealed that nearly 45 out of 100 workers were injured during that period. The report also highlighted a subsequent increase in injuries during the peak of holiday sales at the end of the year.

The investigation pointed to several key factors contributing to the high injury rates during major sales events, including understaffing, unsustainable productivity requirements, and ignored safety protocols. Sen. Sanders expressed his dismay at the "extraordinarily high level of injuries" discovered, emphasizing the irresponsibility of Amazon and suggesting the possibility of a hearing where Amazon executives would be asked to testify.

In response to the findings, Amazon spokeswoman Kelly Nantel stated that the safety and health of employees are a top priority for the company. She noted that the recordable injury rate at Amazon has improved significantly since 2019. However, the company was not able to provide more recent data on total injuries.

The report's release coincides with this year's Amazon Prime Day, scheduled for July 16 and 17, during which discounts are offered to millions of Amazon Prime members. Last year, the event generated $12.7 billion in sales over the two days. The growing popularity of Prime Day has led Amazon to introduce additional sales events throughout the year.

As the chairman of the Senate HELP Committee, Sen. Sanders has been targeting labor practices at major corporations, including Amazon, as well as addressing other issues such as inflated drug prices and medical debt. The Senate review also revealed that warehouse workers sustained "recordable" injuries at more than twice the industry average during Prime Day week in 2019.

While Amazon maintains that they prioritize employee safety, the report highlights potential underreporting of injuries and past recordkeeping violations by the company. The Senate committee arrived at its findings based on injury data from 2019 and 2020 provided by Amazon, as well as interviews with over 100 workers and other documentation.

The future of the Senate investigation remains uncertain, as it depends on the outcome of the November elections. However, labor advocates have long criticized Amazon for its warehouse safety practices. The company is currently under investigation by federal workplace safety regulators and the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. In May, California labor officials fined Amazon $5.9 million for violating a state law aimed at protecting warehouse workers.

The report also points to understaffing as a significant factor in the elevated work injuries observed during Prime Day events. An internal Amazon memo cited in the report revealed that the company did not meet its hiring goals in the lead-up to Prime Day, which had a negative impact on business operations and increased risk.

These preliminary findings are just the beginning, as the committee plans to release further results from its investigation in the future.