After taking a lot of heat following the Allentown Morning Call's recent expose regarding harsh summer working conditions in a Pennsylvania fulfillment center (Shelf Awareness, September 19, 2011), Amazon has promised to install air conditioning at additional fulfillment centers. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Amazon "acknowledged that while facilities in hot parts of the country like Arizona are air-conditioned, the Lehigh Valley warehouse that was the focus of the article was not."
"We have several procedures in place to ensure the safety of our associates during the summer heat, including increased breaks, shortened shifts, constant reminders and help about hydration and extra ice machines," Amazon said in a statement. "We haven't historically had air conditioning in our east coast fulfillment centers. We're in the process of adding air conditioning to additional FCs so that we're prepared in case what we saw this past summer becomes the new normal."
