U.S. aviation regulators seek to impose a $350,000 fine on Amazon for what they say was an improper packaging job for a gallon-size container of corrosive drain cleaner.
U.S. aviation regulators seek to impose a $350,000 fine on Amazon.com for what they say was an improper packaging job for a gallon-size container of corrosive drain cleaner.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday that some of the “Amazing! LIQUID FIRE” drain cleaner Amazon shipped through UPS from Louisville, Ky., to Boulder, Colo., wound up leaking, giving nine UPS workers a “burning sensation.”
The FAA says the box wasn’t packaged correctly, didn’t have a shipper’s declaration for dangerous goods nor any other indication that it carried something potentially hazardous. The agency also says the tech and retail giant didn’t include emergency-response information with the package nor appropriately train the employees who handled it.
The accusation underscores the logistical and regulatory complexities Amazon faces in its role as the world’s one-stop shop for everything from horse-head masks to advanced laboratory equipment.
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The company envisages the capability to deliver these items really fast — a task that usually involves an airplane. Air-shipping regulations are becoming even more relevant for Amazon as it expands its own air fleet connecting a vast network of warehouses.
Amazon says it takes the safety of its air-cargo delivery partners seriously.
“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,” the company said in a statement.
Final FAA fines sometimes are a fraction of the amount initially proposed by the agency. For example, Southwest Airlines paid a civil penalty of $2.8 million to settle a U.S. government lawsuit that sought $12 million, based on penalties proposed by the FAA.
In Monday’s news release, the FAA said Amazon “has a history of violating” hazardous-materials regulations. In addition to the drain-cleaner incident, Amazon violated these regulations 24 other times between February 2013 and September 2015, the agency said.
“The FAA is continuing to investigate Amazon’s compliance with the Hazardous Materials Regulations applicable to air transportation,” the agency said in the release.