The Perfect Amazonian May Not Be Human, and That's Okay
As a former Amazon Work, Health, and Safety specialist(WHSS), I have firsthand experience observing the metaphorical trenches of the immense physical demands of warehouse life. Amazon being my first foray into the safety field also gives me a raw perspective on work culture and safety expectations. Amazon's relentless focus on speed and efficiency takes a major toll on employees' bodies and wellbeing, but what if the perfect Amazonian was not human at all?
Digit your time in the sun has come, here is a new humanoid robot designed by Agility Robotics to automate warehouse work. In contrast to the most prevalent narratives here to "steal jobs," Digit represents a path to free Amazon's human Associates from some of the physically demanding and taxing aspects of their jobs. As the data shows, Amazon's injury epidemic continues unabated, but robotic assistants like Digit offer a solution for meeting their customer needs.
Injury/Incident Data Speaks for Itself
Amazon's own injury records, as reported to OSHA from 2017-2020, reveal injury rates nearly doubled the national average for warehousing work. In 2020 alone, despite changes due to COVID, Amazon warehouse workers suffered over 27,000 serious injuries requiring days off or job transfer for recovery. The overall injury rate remained a staggering 6.5 per 100 workers, compared to just 4.0 at non-Amazon warehouses. And Amazon delivery drivers face even higher risks, with injury rates of 13.3 per 100 workers in 2020, nearly triple the warehousing average. Nearly half of Amazon delivery workers surveyed by the Strategic Organizing Center reported on-the-job injuries. According to the data the Last mile portion f the business' has even higher rates of incidents, and injury than even the Amazon Fulfillment portion.
Mounting Human Toll
As a former WHSS, I have easily been a part of or tangentially worked on hundreds of incidents, injuries, and near misses. In my first year, during the pandemic's peak, employee injuries and medical leave of absences began mounting while we scrambled to implement shifting social distancing and other precaution mandates. Workers faced increasing physical and mental strain as production pressures continued despite the threats of illness and burnout. Amazon especially during this time was essential to our functioning as a whole, in our critical time as a nation.?
The daily Sisyphean strain of lifting, twisting, bending, reaching, and keeping pace with Amazon's requirements degrades workers' bodies and erodes morale. Pushing human biology to its limits for productivity came at a measurable cost. That cost has not gone unnoticed by the public, and most certainly Amazon who prides themselves in solving hard problems.
A Path Forward with Robotics
But what if a Humanoid robot could take over the most strenuous portions of the role and the most taxing tasks? Amazon recently announced a partnership with robotics company Agility to test the humanoid robot Digit in its warehouses. They released a demo video of Digit lifting boxes, and placing them on a shelf. As awkward, and slow as Digit was with each successful step and motion I saw how this could help people live healthier lives.
领英推荐
Standing at approximately six feet tall(175cm/5’9”), Digit can lift and carry packages up to 35 pounds, eliminating the back strain and injuries human workers often face. Digit additionally has the ability to operate for nearly 16 hours until its next charge.? With stronger, more adaptable bodies designed for repetitive tasks, Digit and other autonomous robots represent a path to free Amazon's human employees from the harshest physical labor.
Amazon’s Ergonomics and Automation - Protecting Our Most Valuable Asset?
Amazon has adapted to the negative feedback with positive, and proactive initiatives to? empower safety in recent years. In their Delivered with care report Amazon's 2022 Safety Report, the company invested over $300 million in new safety measures during 2021-2022, and has committed over $550 million for further safety initiatives in 2023. These investments have been directed toward shifting procedures toward reducing production pressures, expanded employee training initiatives focused on body ergonomic and safety leadership, and new technologies like mobile robots to automate high-risk material handling tasks( Digit). For example, Amazon has deployed over 750,000 autonomous mobile robots since 2012 to reduce repetitive strain and lifting injuries. The company has whole teams dedicated to invent, and developing AI-powered job rotation programs that move employees between complementary tasks to minimize fatigue and ergonomic stress on the employees bodies. Amazon is actively working to integrate safety through capital investments, better training, and Safety programs for a path to work better.
Changes
Associates could transition their roles to less hazardous ones such as problem solving, supervising or even assisting maintaining the robotic workforce. And increased automation could potentially allow Amazon to dial back its demanding pace-of-work quotas that drive many injuries today. Having robots like Digit could allow the Amazionas to expand their human workforce into new promising sectors such as drone deliveries.? The freedom of the workforce, can be trained, and implemented, virtually unlimited ways to continue the success, and growth the Amazon has experienced, since its inception in the1990’s. The days of? break and replace model of their employees is unsustainable, and must be taken apart, and made anew. I believe they have found a path forward.
Conclusion?
Of course, we must be cautious with all “advancement” in technologies to ensure these tools and changes are designed and governed ethically, with employees' wellbeing in mind first and foremost. But automation contains a well of possibility to mitigate, and prevent body harm? and improve safety - these are goals all companies should share. Amazon's true choice lies with; will it continue pushing human limits for profit or embrace a more humane, sustainable model for its workforce? What is near certain is that partnering with Agility Robotics will change Amazon, and that? has an opportunity to be better.
Sources
(Information subject to update with new information provided)