While automation can help reduce the manual handling needed by staff, it also raises questions about how it changes the way people work. Are robots actually making warehouses safer, or are they just creating a different set of risks?
A study of more than 150 Amazon warehouses found that sites using robots had 40% fewer serious injuries, but 77% more minor injuries.
The research, which looked at data from 2016 to 2019, suggests that faster working speeds and repetitive movements could be contributing to the increase.
Although robots can take on physically demanding tasks, employees may still face injuries linked to repetitive work, strains and sprains. There are also concerns that working alongside increasingly capable machines could put pressure on employees to keep up with their pace.
Amazon says its injury rates have improved in recent years. Between 2019 and 2025, Amazon reported a 43% reduction in its global injury rate and a 70% reduction in injuries resulting in time off work.
However, these figures cover its wider operations and do not compare injury rates at robotic and non-robotic sites.
The company also says its advanced robotics facilities require 30% more reliability, maintenance and engineering employees, highlighting how automation is changing the roles needed within warehouses.
As more workplaces introduce automation, employers need to consider how it affects employees as well as the tasks it removes.
Risk assessments should account for working speeds, repetitive movements and interactions between people and machinery. Employers should also monitor injury trends and listen to workers' experiences to identify risks that may not be immediately obvious.
Robots can help reduce physical demands, but that doesn't automatically make a workplace safer. The impact on the people working alongside them needs just as much attention.
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