FAA May Fine Amazon $350,000 for 2014 Incident that Injured Handlers UPDATE: Two More Penalties Proposed Against Amazon

June 14, 2016
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposed a $350,000 penalty against Amazon.com for shipping hazardous material incorrectly, which left nine UPS workers with minor injures in 2014.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposed a $350,000 penalty against Amazon.com for shipping hazardous material incorrectly, which left nine UPS workers with minor injures in 2014.   

On Oct. 15, 2014, Amazon shipped a package containing a one-gallon container of a corrosive drain cleaner from Louisville, Kentucky to Boulder, Colorado in a allegedly improperly packaged shipment not labeled or marked to indicate the hazardous contents.  

The contents ultimately leaked through the box and the nine UPS workers who came into contact with the package "reported feeling a burning sensation and were treated with a chemical wash," according to a FAA news release.  

UPS spokesman Mike Mangeot said in a statement to Reuters that the "employees were fine after receiving treatment." 

In a news release, the FAA noted packages containing hazardous material should be accompanied by a 'Shipper's Declaration for Dangerous Goods' and should provide emergency response information with the package. Because the Amazon package did not list this information, the employees handling the package were not trained to handle hazardous materials.  

The alleged violation to the Hazardous Materials Regulations is nothing new to Amazon, between February 2013 and September 2015 Amazon has violated the regulations 24 other times, according to a FAA news release.  

In 2014, Amazon paid $91,000 for a 2013 incident where employees improperly shipped a package of flammable liquid adhesive by air on Federal Express, NBC reports a FAA spokesperson said. 

UPDATE: The FAA proposed two other penalties against Amazon within the month of June for alleged incidents involving incorrectly packaged hazardous material in 2014. The total number of penalties is now totaling $480,000 this month alone.