About 40% of work-related injuries at Amazon are musculoskeletal disorders.

True: Amazon injury data for about 2020 (from Amazon's own reports, OSHA logs or analyses of them) show that musculoskeletal disorders made up roughly 35–45% of work-related injuries at Amazon. Mostly true: the share is 30–35% or 45–50%, or about 40% only for a closely related scope such as US operations or recordable injuries. Mixed: sources disagree widely, or the figure holds only for a narrow segment. Mostly false: the share is clearly outside 30–50%, though MSDs are still a substantial category. False: MSDs are a small share, for example under 20%, or the figure is contradicted outright.

Set before the research began.

1. E1 An update on safety at Amazon Amazon (aboutamazon.com) · 26 July 2023 Own record

   “In 2022, work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), such as sprains and strains that are sometimes caused by lifting, twisting, reaching, or repetitive motions, constituted about 55% of all recordable injuries at Amazon.”

2. E2 Amazon's safety performance continues to improve year over year Amazon (aboutamazon.com) · 13 March 2025 Own record

   “Over the past five years, the rate of MSD recordable incident rates at Amazon has improved 32%, but they still make up about 57% of all recordable injuries at Amazon.”

3. E3 An update on safety at Amazon Amazon (aboutamazon.com) · 26 July 2023 Own record

   “In 2022, work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), such as sprains and strains that are sometimes caused by lifting, twisting, reaching, or repetitive motions, constituted about 55% of all recordable injuries at Amazon.”

4. E4 Amazon's safety record shows consistent annual improvement Amazon (aboutamazon.com) · 8 March 2024 Own record

   “Over the past four years, the rate of MSD Recordable Incident Rates at Amazon has improved 27%, but they still make up about 57% of all recordable injuries at Amazon.”

5. E5 Exhibit No. 10 Foxglove (hosting a court filing: Declaration of Drs. Harrison, Rempel and Adamson, Amazon v. Sacks, W.D. Wash. Case 2:22-cv-01404-JCC, Document 10-10) · 18 November 2022

   “Most OSHA 300 recordable injuries and illnesses and workers compensation cases are musculoskeletal injuries.”

6. E6 Exhibit No. 10 Foxglove (hosting a court filing: Declaration of Drs. Harrison, Rempel and Adamson, Amazon v. Sacks, W.D. Wash. Case 2:22-cv-01404-JCC, Document 10-10) · 18 November 2022

   “It should be noted that work related musculoskeletal disorders are classified differently over time, with most classified as injuries in 2016-2019 but in 2020 there was a shift to classifying more cases as illnesses.”

7. E7 Amazon Is Less Than Prime When It Comes to Protecting Workers. Just Ask OSHA Risk & Insurance · 15 June 2021

   “While The Washington Post’s report did not include details of injury causes, a 2019 survey of Amazon warehouse workers in Staten Island found that musculoskeletal injuries, especially those caused by bending, twisting and lifting, may be the primary culprit.”

Amazon's own safety updates say MSDs were about 55% of recordable injuries in 2022 (E1, E3) and about 57% in later reporting periods (E2, E4). None of the evidence gives a share for about 2020, which is the period the criteria name. The independent court declaration says only that most OSHA 300 recordable injuries and illnesses and workers' compensation cases are musculoskeletal, with no percentage given (E5). It also notes that in 2020 more MSD cases were classified as illnesses rather than injuries (E6), so the later-year shares cannot simply be applied to 2020. The evidence therefore does not establish whether MSDs were about 40% of Amazon's work-related injuries around 2020.