For Immediate Release: December 5, 2024
Media Contact: Lisa Thomas, lisa@alignny.org, (347) 415-6431
Shocking New Data Shows 30% Increase in
Warehouse Worker Injuries in Single Year as Industry Grows
The Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act still awaits
Governor Hochul’s signature to become law
ALBANY, NY – Analysis of newly released data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals a staggering 30% increase in warehouse worker injuries from 2022 to 2023, with one in nine workers experiencing injury every year. The data brief was released by the National Employment Law Project (NELP) with support from the New Yorkers for a Fair Economy coalition, which also includes ALIGN; the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union; and Teamsters Joint Council 16, among others. The coalition is behind the Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act (S5081C/A8907A), which currently awaits Governor Hochul’s signature to become law.
Among the takeaways from the new data:
- Total warehouse worker injuries in New York State increased 30% from 2022 to 2023 to a rate of 11.5 per 100 full time workers. This is the equivalent of more than one injury for every nine warehouse workers each year, up from one in 11 the previous year.
- Warehouse injuries have more than tripled between 2017 and 2023.
- Injuries are getting more serious. In 2023, more than 90% of injuries required missed days of work or a job transfer. In 2017, only 60% of the injuries were that serious. The number of injuries in this most serious category has quadrupled between 2017 and 2023.
- New York State warehouse workers are injured at a rate more than double the national average.
- The number of New Yorkers working in warehousing jobs has been steadily increasing, growing 14% between 2022 and 2023 as compared to 5% job growth in the private sector overall in the state. These jobs rank among the most dangerous jobs in New York State.
When signed into law, the Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act—sponsored by State Senator Jessica Ramos and Assemblymember Harry Bronson—will establish industry-wide safety standards, require annual safety evaluations of large warehouses at companies like Amazon for hazards and ergonomic fixes, improve training and medical care, and empower the Department of Labor to implement and enforce the law. In addition to keeping tens of thousands of warehouse workers safe, the bill can reduce turnover for employers and ease the burden on the state’s healthcare and workers’ compensation systems.
If the bill is not signed by the end of the year, it will have to be passed through the legislature again next session.
Irene Tung, Senior Researcher and Policy Analyst at the National Employment Law Project said, “The fact that the most serious injuries to warehouse workers have quadrupled in just 6 years should sound alarm bells for us. With the rise of e-commerce, the warehousing industry has seen dramatic changes, but safety protections for workers have not caught up. Passing the Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act would help prevent injuries by making sure that qualified specialists go into warehouses each year to identify any changes that need to be made—such as providing proper equipment, allowing workers to rotate tasks, or adjusting the pace of work.”
About New Yorkers for a Fair Economy
New Yorkers for a Fair Economy (NYFE) is a coalition of labor unions, small businesses, and immigrant and community organizations uniting to safeguard our state from the abusive practices of big corporations and achieve an economy that works for all New Yorkers. NYFE is led by ALIGN (Alliance for a Greater New York) and includes labor unions Teamsters Joint Council 16 and Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union; community groups like New York Communities for Change and New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health; and research and advocacy organizations like National Employment Law Project and Strategic Organizing Center, among others.
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