Amazon Fails to Protect Workers from Dog Bites

According to recent reports, dog bite attacks have become a serious issue for Amazon’s workers. Pursuant to worker reports, Amazon has failed to provide a prepared, appropriate response to both prevent and address the issue and protect its workers. In fact, not only is there no indication that the company channels some of these injuries through the workers’ compensation system, but they reportedly expect the drivers to continue on their route and deliver their packages, regardless of the dangers present.

The issue has reached such a crisis that last year, one Amazon driver was found dead on a customer’s front lawn after being attacked by dogs and suffering a tremendous amount of trauma to his body.

Inadequate Training & Preparation: What Is the Standard in the Industry?

According to Amazon workers, the company’s “preparation” in terms of ensuring that workers are protected from dog bites, is to tell the drivers to simply “jingle their keys,” all while barring them from using pepper spray for protection. Amazon’s response stands in contrast to how others in the industry treat the issue; For example, the United States Postal Service (USPS) reportedly allows – and even encourages – mail carriers to use pepper spray for their own protection. Sadly, like Amazon, UPS and FedEx all appear to be behind the curve in terms of having established dog bite policies and procedures in place for their workers.

Amazon’s Response

Amazon’s response has been that the company does train drivers to practice dog avoidance and to immediately seek assistance if they see any signs of a dog-related issue, such as a water bowl or leash outside the delivery location. The company has also stated that they provide training to drivers throughout their tenure with the company, and these training courses include topics such as pet awareness and avoidance.

The company also offers an app which explains what a driver should do if there is a dog at their delivery location, and includes informing the driver that they should notify the customer of their arrival. Using this app, drivers also have the ability to note which locations have dogs on the premises in order to warn future drivers who have to go there, but it does not address what a driver should do if they are attacked, or how to prevent attacks in the first place.

In addition, while the company also claims that drivers should never deliver in circumstances in which they feel unsafe, a number of them have reported that they are ‘punished’ if they fail to deliver a certain number of packages in a specific time period.

Have You Been Hurt? Contact Our Macon, Georgia Dog Bite Injury Attorneys

If you or a loved one has been the victim of a dog bite attack here in Macon, Georgia, we are here to help: Contact the Macon dog bite attorneys at the Law Offices of Buzzell, Welsh & Hill today to schedule a free consultation and find out more.

Source:

vice.com/en/article/ak3n78/we-cant-defend-ourselves-amazon-isnt-doing-enough-about-its-dog-bite-problem-drivers-say