Same-day deliveries and supply chain dominance come with hidden risks, and for workers involved in building new Amazon fulfillment centers, those risks sometimes result in serious injuries and, sometimes, lost lives. Amazon warehouse construction accidents can occur because constructing these massive facilities involves heavy equipment, tight deadlines, and complex, high-pressure work environments that leave little room for error.
Even with safety protocols in place, accidents can happen when corners are cut or hazards are overlooked.
Here’s what we’ll cover in this article:
- What It Takes to Construct an Amazon Fulfillment Center
- How Fast Amazon Warehouses Are Expanding
- Dangers Leading to Amazon Warehouse Construction Accidents
- 6 Types of Amazon Warehouse Construction Accident and Worker Injuries
- Beyond Construction: More Hazards in Amazon Warehouses
- What to Do If You’re Hurt at an Amazon Warehouse Construction Accident
To explore more safety issues impacting Amazon workers, check out Amazon Truck Accident in Austin Kills 5, Will Amazon Keep Its Promise to Cut Job Injuries?, and Will Amazon’s New Delivery Driver Tech Create More Dangers?
What It Takes to Construct an Amazon Fulfillment Center
Amazon fulfillment centers aren’t the average warehouse. They’re sprawling complexes that typically span 800,000 to 1 million square feet, with some stretching well over a dozen football fields in length.
The scale and complexity of these projects make them significant undertakings, and they also create conditions where Amazon warehouse construction accidents can happen.
Constructing one of these facilities requires months of planning and careful coordination, including:
- Complex buildouts: These facilities are often multi-story, tech-driven structures, some of which are four to five stories high. Engineered to house robotics, Amazon fulfillment centers are usually equipped with miles of conveyors and advanced automated sorting systems known for complicated installations.
- Extensive manpower and machinery: Construction requires crews ranging from dozens to hundreds, including general contractors, electrical and automation specialists, conveyor installation teams, and dedicated safety officers.
- Heavy equipment: Cranes, forklifts, cement mixers, conveyors, scaffolding, and industrial sweepers are just some pieces of heavy equipment that are routinely deployed to handle the scale and complexity of these construction projects.
- Strict timelines: Depending on site conditions, permitting, and the level of technology integration, construction can run anywhere from several months to over a year, with tight schedules driving every phase.
From the first shovel in the ground to the final systems test, building these massive facilities is a high-stakes effort. The speed and pressure required to meet corporate deadlines can increase the likelihood of oversights and contribute to Amazon warehouse construction accidents if safety protocols are not strictly followed.
How Fast Amazon Warehouses Are Expanding
Amazon’s logistics footprint has been growing rapidly for years, with no signs of slowing down. This rapid expansion contributes to more construction projects, which can increase the risk of Amazon warehouse construction accidents.
According to the latest reports, news, and data:
- As of April 2025, Amazon operates at least 600 logistics facilities in the U.S, with more than 350 fulfillment centers globally. This includes warehouses, delivery stations, sortation centers, and other facilities.
- California, Texas, and New Jersey are the states with the most Amazon fulfillment centers, with 35, 28, and 17 facilities in these respective states.
- Amazon could have an aggressive expansion on the horizon. In April 2025, Amazon announced tentative plans to make a $15 billion investment in building 80 new logistics facilities in the U.S. This would include building more gigantic, robot‑equipped fulfillment centers.
- Amazon is planning $4 billion expansion of its rural delivery network in the U.S. This growth is projected to triple the size of that network, taking it to over 200 delivery stations by the end of 2026
Together, these figures suggest a surge in fulfillment-center construction through 2025 and 2026. While that could bring greater attention to Amazon warehouse construction safety, it may also intensify the very pressures and risks that put workers in harm’s way.
Dangers Leading to Amazon Warehouse Construction Accidents
Construction sites can be inherently risky places, even with safety protocols and equipment in place. The combination of tight deadlines, complex machinery, and large workspaces is a key factor behind many Amazon warehouse construction accidents, catastrophic injuries, and even fatalities.
For Amazon warehouse construction sites, those risks tend to be amplified by:
- The sheer size of the builds
- The complexity of the technology involved
- The unyielding push to get operations up and running.
With that, accidents can happen due to hazards like (but not limited to):
- Falling materials
- Making contact with live wiring
- Scaffolding or equipment collapse
- Entanglements in heavy conveyors
- Entrapments in pinch points or between heavy machinery
- Swinging loads that can crush or strike workers
- Falling from elevated areas, particularly during robotics or storage rack installation
Dangers like these can become exceptionally risky, if not life-threatening, with:
- Tighter construction timelines
- Site inspections failures or oversights
- Unsecured or improperly stored materials
- Inadequate safety equipment and/or training
- Poorly maintained equipment or heavy machinery
- Skeleton crews and fatigued workers pulling extended or overnight shifts
- Frequent changes to construction plans without updated safety briefings
Any one of these factors can create a “perfect storm” for construction accidents at Amazon fulfillment center sites.
6 Types of Amazon Warehouse Construction Accident and Worker Injuries
The size and complexity of Amazon fulfillment center projects make construction sites inherently risky, putting workers in situations where injuries are more likely.
Some of the most common types of Amazon warehouse construction accident injuries include:
- Crush and pinning injuries: Workers can get trapped between heavy equipment or caught in conveyor mishaps, suffering broken bones, internal injuries, amputations, or life-threatening trauma.
- Falls: Scaffolding, ladders, and elevated platforms can increase the risk of falls, especially with materials moving overhead and a lack of proper fall protection. These incidents can lead to fractures, spinal injuries, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), and fatal injuries.
- Electrocutions: Installing complex automation systems, lighting, and electrical wiring puts workers in direct contact with live circuits. Without proper insulation or lockout/tagout procedures, the risk of shock, burns, and fatal electrocutions can skyrocket.
- Equipment-related trauma: Forklifts, sweepers, and other mobile machinery can flip over, malfunction, and/or strike workers. With that, workers can sustain crushing injuries, fractures, amputations, TBIs, and internal injuries.
- On-site collisions or being struck by objects: Tools, steel beams, construction debris, and construction vehicles can move in unexpected ways, striking workers and causing severe blunt-force trauma that can be deadly in the worst cases.
- Fatalities: Too many families lose loved ones in construction accidents, many of which could have been prevented with proper safety, compliance, and oversight.
Injuries like these could surge as Amazon expands its fulfillment network at an unprecedented pace.
Beyond Construction: More Hazards in Amazon Warehouses
The risks for workers don’t end once construction wraps up. Even in fully operational fulfillment centers, various hazards can contribute to Amazon warehouse construction accidents or workplace injuries.
Common ongoing risks include:
- Slips, trips, and falls: Spilled liquids, uneven flooring, or cluttered walkways can cause sudden falls, resulting in TBIs, fractures, and other catastrophic injuries.
- Conveyor belt accidents: Moving parts can catch clothing, fingers, or hair if proper guards and lockout/tagout procedures aren’t followed.
- Forklift collisions: Heavy, fast-moving forklifts can strike workers or racks, causing severe injuries or structural damage.
- Falling objects from shelving: Items stored at height can dislodge and fall, striking workers and causing serious blunt-force injuries.
- Exposure to extreme temperatures: Workers in certain areas may face excessive heat or cold, increasing the risk of heat stroke or hypothermia.
- Insufficient training on new equipment: Without proper instruction, workers may misuse machinery or overlook hazards, leading to preventable accidents.
Looking at construction injuries and operational warehouse injuries starts to paint a troubling picture of persisting safety oversights. That was recently echoed in a 2024 Congressional report that found:
- Amazon warehouses have extraordinarily high injury rates, with Amazon warehouse workers having roughly double the risk of injury when compared to the average warehouse worker.
- Amazon manipulated data to downplay worker injuries and make its warehouses appear safer than they actually are.
These findings suggest that without meaningful changes to safety culture and oversight, the risks facing Amazon’s warehouse and construction workers will likely remain both severe and systemic.
What to Do If You’re Hurt at an Amazon Warehouse Construction Accident
If you’re injured while building or working at an Amazon warehouse, here are some practical steps to take as soon as you can:
- Seek immediate medical attention. Get emergency care at the scene and follow up with all recommended care for optimal prognoses and thorough documentation of your injuries.
- Report the injury promptly to supervisors, HR, or an on-site safety manager.
- Document everything. Take photos, collect incident reports, record witness names, and get statements if you can.
- Get copies of accident reports and keep any correspondence that an employer and/or their insurance company sends you about the incident.
- Review workers’ comp and be aware that it may not be the only option for recovery.
- Contact an attorney to get clear answers about your rights, a potential claim, and your legal options, based on your injury and circumstances.
Prompt action can help ensure proper medical care and preserve your options for compensation. If you or a loved one has been hurt in an Amazon warehouse construction accident, contact us to discuss your rights and explore your legal options.