Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN.O) is facing a $350,000 civil fine from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration for allegedly violating hazardous materials regulations. This would not be the first time that Amazon has been fined by the FAA for improperly shipping hazardous materials.
According to the FAA’s allegations, Amazon sent a UPS package containing a one-gallon container of “Amazing! LIQUID FIRE,” a corrosive drain cleaner, for transportation by air from Louisville, Kentucky, to Boulder, Colorado on Oct. 15, 2014. While in transit, the package leaked and some of the hazardous chemical came into contact with UPS workers’ skin. Nine UPS employees who came into contact with the box reported feeling a burning sensation and were treated with a chemical wash.
The agency claims that there was no label marking the hazardous nature of the shipment on the package. The FAA also alleged Amazon failed to provide emergency response information with the package, and claimed that Amazon employees who handled the package had not received the required hazardous materials training.
Between February 2013 and September 2015, the government has sought a total of nearly $1.3 million in fines for the incidents. An FAA spokesman said the company paid $91,000 in April 2014 for a 2013 incident in which Amazon employees improperly shipped a package containing flammable liquid adhesive by air from Whitestown, Indiana, to Boulder, Colorado on Federal Express. However, the number of total times Amazon paid fines or admitted responsibility is unclear, as the FAA does not issue press releases for fines below $50,000.
The agency is continuing to investigate Amazon’s compliance with hazardous shipment rules. In a written statement, Amazon said that “we ship tens of millions of products every day and have developed sophisticated technologies to detect potential shipping hazards and use any defects as an opportunity for continuous improvement. We will continue to partner with the FAA in this area.”
Improperly packaged hazardous materials can cause a severe risk to air transportation. In 1996, improperly packaged oxygen generators caught fire and caused a ValuJet DC-9 aircraft to crash. Since then, the FAA has been much more aggressive in regards to the transportation of hazardous goods.
