Slick Sidewalks, Protective Pets Among Injury Trends for Amazon Delivery Partners in Colorado

Coloradans like residents of other states have seen an increase in delivery vehicles as many households shifted to ordering more online amid the pandemice.

Colorado workers’ compensation insurer Pinnacol Assurance analyzed its claims data to identify trends for this rapidly growing industry and found these essential workers face their own unique workplace hazards.

Amazon Delivery Service Partners function as third-party contractors and operate independent businesses that enable Amazon to fulfill demand for delivered packages throughout the U.S.. Amazon reports there are now more than 1,700 of these businesses globally, with more than 100,000 workers who have delivered more than 2.2 billion packages, generating more than $5 billion in revenue for their small businesses.

Pinnacol’s analysis of its DSP workforce claims in Colorado revealed the most common worker injury causes in the past year were: 1. Slip, trip and fall. 2. Strain (muscle, such as twisting). 3. Environment (dog bites). 4. Vehicle (accidents) 5. Strike (worker striking an object, such as a fence post)

Pinnacol estimates Amazon DSP drivers experience “slip and fall” and animal-related injuries more commonly than other delivery drivers in Colorado. Pinnacol attributes this to the industry’s relative newness and increased demand due to the pandemic. They also saw a high incidence of strain injuries, which is expected among employees who handle so many packages per day.

Pinnacol also found that the growth in this industry could be undermining employee safety. Sixty-eight percent of injuries for DSPs happen in the first six months on the job, and 93% of injuries happen in the first year of employment, more than double other industries.

Pinnacol is Colorado’s largest workers’ comp carrier.

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Trends Colorado