E-retail giant Amazon has strict policies about safely packing products, and in the USA, it is threatening a crackdown on third party sellers who do not package their products well.
Many products on Amazon’s website are sold and dispatched by third party sellers, while others send items in bulk to Amazon’s warehouses for Amazon to handle shipping. Such items need to be packaged well, and some, such as rechargeable batteries and hairsprays, are subject to regulations about packaging. Amazon conforms to these standards but is aware that some third party sellers violate packing regulations. The firm wants all third party sellers to be better informed about how items should be packaged, and may charge extra fees for packaging violations that are brought to tits attention.
Amazon is also concerned that electrical items and sharp objects are dispatched safely. Some packages are oversized and difficult for carriers to lift.
An example of bad packing in 2018 was a gas pressure washer that was shipped with fuel inside the machine. It spilt, creating a fire hazard. In another case, warehouse employees suffered skin irritations traced to leakage of a product containing harmful chemicals. Just last month, workers at the Amazon warehouse in New Jersey were exposed to bear repellent after a container was punctured.
Amazon has highlighted that health and safety issues in warehouses do not stop at processing orders. Well-made packing stations and picking trolleys make picking and packing items safe, but safe packing is essential to protect both carriers and customers who receive orders.
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