Amid Heat On Workplace Safety Issues, Amazon Loses Workplace Safety Head

Amazon.com Inc's AMZN top executive supervising workplace health and safety is leaving in October, CNBC reports citing an internal memo.

Heather MacDougall, who joined Amazon in 2019 from the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, will depart effective October 7 to pursue other opportunities outside Amazon. 

Becky Gansert, VP of global specialty fulfillment, will succeed MacDougall as head of global workplace health and safety. 

Also Read: Amazon Loses Consumer Business Veteran Exec - All You Need To Know

MacDougall led the health and safety of Amazon's global workforce of 1.5 million-plus employees at a crucial period.

In early 2020, as the pandemic spread rapidly, causing businesses and office buildings to shutter temporarily, Amazon's warehouse and delivery employees continued to report to work as consumer demand soared for rapid delivery.

Amazon faced flak for not doing enough to protect employees on the job during the pandemic. Amazon also faced widespread scrutiny over the injury rates in its warehouses as it prioritized speed over safety, triggering a unionization wave.

Amazon has disputed reports of unsafe working conditions. During MacDougall's tenure, Amazon set ambitious goals to reduce injuries.

Before Amazon, MacDougall served two terms as the head of the OSHRC, a federal agency that reviewed workplace health and safety disputes.

Amazon has acknowledged safety and the overall associate experience as its priorities. It recently acquired Cloostermans, a Belgian company that makes technology used in warehouses to beef up workers' safety.

Several workers at an Amazon air hub in San Bernardino, California, recently staged a walkout citing heat-related job risks. Earlier reports suggested Amazon faced a significant crisis of workers in its warehouses as it ran out of people to hire. The report indicated that alongside higher wages, further automation could be one way to offset that crisis.

Price Action: AMZN shares traded higher by 0.70% at $137.42 premarket on the last check Tuesday.