Automated machine punctures bear repellent at Amazon Robbinsville site
An automated machine punctured a can of bear repellent at Amazon's Robbinsville, New Jersey fulfillment center on December 5, 2018, sending about two dozen workers to hospitals.
Key facts
- On December 5, 2018, a 9-ounce can of bear repellent was punctured by an automated machine at Amazon's fulfillment center in Robbinsville, New Jersey, according to a township spokesman.
- Twenty-four employees were taken to five hospitals and about 30 others were treated at the warehouse for breathing difficulty and burning in the eyes and throat.
- At least one worker was reported in critical condition that afternoon but was expected to be released.
- The fumes were confined to part of the building's third floor, which was cleared for several hours; the rest of the warehouse was not evacuated.
- Amazon said a damaged aerosol can had dispersed strong fumes in a contained area and that a full investigation was under way.
What happened
Shortly after 9 a.m. on Wednesday, December 5, 2018, the Robbinsville Township Fire Department said it was investigating fumes at Amazon’s fulfillment center and trying to locate the source. A township spokesman later said a 9-ounce can of bear repellent, which contains concentrated capsaicin, had been punctured by an automated machine. One early account from the same spokesman said the can had fallen off a shelf before it was punctured.
The fumes were confined to a section of the third floor. Workers there reported trouble breathing and burning in their eyes and throats. Twenty-four were taken to five hospitals, ten of them to a single hospital in Hamilton, and about 30 others were treated on site. At least one person was in critical condition that afternoon but was expected to be released. The third-floor area was cleared for a few hours, and the rest of the building kept operating.
The system involved
Officials described the equipment only as an automated machine. Many headlines called it a robot, but neither the township nor Amazon identified the type of machine involved. Amazon’s own statement referred to a damaged aerosol can without saying what damaged it.
Investigation and response
Local firefighters and emergency medical crews responded and isolated the affected area. Amazon said the employees in the area were relocated, that those with symptoms were treated on site, and that the safety of its employees was its top priority. By 8 p.m. the company said all affected employees had been released or were expected to be released within 24 hours, and that a full investigation was under way. No public findings from that investigation were located.
What is not established
The specific machine that punctured the can has not been publicly identified, and early statements differed on whether the can first fell from a shelf. The injury count combines 24 people taken to hospital with roughly 30 treated on site and is approximate. Whether any regulator issued findings was not verified for this entry.
Outcomes
- Twenty-four workers were taken to five hospitals on December 5, 2018, and about 30 more were treated at the warehouse.
- Amazon said that evening that all affected employees had been released or were expected to be released from hospital within 24 hours, and that a full investigation was under way.
Sources
- Amazon workers treated after bear repellent releases fumesAssociated Press (via KSL.com), December 5, 2018
- Bear Repellent Hospitalizes 24 NJ Amazon WorkersNew York Daily News (via Firehouse), December 5, 2018