The California agency that oversees workplace safety has levied $1,870 in fines on Amazon.com Inc. for coronavirus-related safety violations as it ramps up penalties for employers during the pandemic.
Over the course of several months beginning in May, investigators with California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, or Cal/OSHA, found that two Amazon warehouses — one in Eastvale in Riverside County and one in Hawthorne in Los Angeles County — failed to mitigate workers’ potential exposure to the novel coronavirus because they did not provide effective safety training to employees.
“Employees were unaware of key elements in the training materials, including but not limited to sanitation of workstations and frequently touched objects in the workplace,” the citations, dated Oct. 6, said.
Cal/OSHA investigated conditions at the Amazon delivery center in Hawthorne and the fulfillment center in Eastvale after employees in the spring called for a state investigation into their working conditions.
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