Amazon wants to be the safest company in the industries in which we operate, and we are making meaningful progress: since 2019, we’ve invested more than $2 billion in our safety efforts, including new technologies and programs to protect our employees.
Amazon fulfilment centres are home to some of the most exciting examples of how we’re consistently innovating and investing in safety measures. Take a behind-the-scenes look inside two of our facilities in Ottawa, Ontario – YOW1, a 1 million square foot facility that opened in 2019, and YOW3, a 2.6 million square foot robotics facility that followed in 2022.
As a traditional non-sortable fulfilment centre, YOW1 ships larger items like household decor, sporting equipment, and appliances. Employees who handle larger inventory get a helping hand from innovative tools like a vacuum lift, which improves workplace ergonomics and reduces strain-related injuries.
YOW3 operates a fleet of robots that help improve the employee experience by enhancing safety and productivity. For example, the site’s Robin robotic arm helps employees handle and sort customer packages. Using advanced computer vision and AI, Robin can see and grasp packages of all shapes and sizes. By helping sort, lift, and place packages, Robin handles repetitive and strenuous tasks so employees can work more comfortably.
Other robots in action at YOW3 include Hercules - Amazon’s robotic drive unit that transports inventory shelves directly to associates at ergonomic workstations. By reducing the need for employees to walk long distances or bend and reach into high or low shelving, Hercules helps minimize physical strain and the risk of slips, trips, and falls.
