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Dear Jeff Bezos, instead of firing me, protect your workers from coronavirus

(www.theguardian.com)
174 points jbegley | 9 comments | 03 Apr 20 15:20 UTC | HN request time: 1.307s | source | bottom
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SQueeeeeL[dead post] ◴[03 Apr 20 15:52 UTC] No.22770495[source]▶
We're so fucked, we can't even distribute supplies to people who can't leave their homes without giving them massive exposure risk. Not sure why it's so hard to buy some fucking masks and gloves for the warehouse
1. Cpoll ◴[03 Apr 20 15:55 UTC] No.22770532[source]▶
Are there any masks to buy? A lot of news articles are about governments seizing mask shipments. Furthermore, I think most masks are being allocated to hospitals.
replies(5): >>22770546 #>>22770583 #>>22770775 #>>22770839 #>>22770971 #
2. ◴[03 Apr 20 15:56 UTC] No.22770546[source]▶
3. SQueeeeeL ◴[03 Apr 20 15:59 UTC] No.22770583[source]▶
So then what, should the warehouse be left operating under those circumstances... if even one person has COVID, they'll handle thousands of items a day and disperse them all over the country. That's a massive risk
replies(1): >>22770634 #
4. Hamuko ◴[03 Apr 20 16:03 UTC] No.22770634[source]▶
Do we have some numbers on how long the novel coronavirus stays infectous on surfaces?
replies(1): >>22770694 #
5. SQueeeeeL ◴[03 Apr 20 16:08 UTC] No.22770694{3}[source]▶
I believe this is still the most up to date https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/03/200320192755.h...

3 days on plastic...

replies(1): >>22771085 #
6. danenania ◴[03 Apr 20 16:15 UTC] No.22770775[source]▶
You need an N95 to reliably block incoming virus, and there's a shortage of these, but any mask or covering (even a homemade one) can drastically cut down on outgoing virus, which is particularly important for people like warehouse workers who have the potential to be super-spreaders.
7. j-c-hewitt ◴[03 Apr 20 16:21 UTC] No.22770839[source]▶
There are masks to buy. The FDA also lifted the import restrictions on KN95, but those would not even necessarily be needed by a warehouse work force. If you can get the freight to the US and you are willing to pay for it, you can buy masks that would be good enough to equip a warehouse workforce.

Other small warehouses I have personal knowledge of have been equipping their workers with masks and gloves daily in addition to hazard pay. It is just lack of attention to the issue that has caused the problem at Amazon. 99 out of 100 times I would support Amazon in any labor dispute. However, in this case, Amazon has not acted intelligently and the demands were very reasonable. The cost of equipping employees is much lower than the cost of more warehouse shutdowns due to illness and the comparison is so ridiculously in favor of "equip the employees" that even the hardest-hearted, self-interested Scrooge of a manager should be able to see the utility in equipping employees appropriately. As other even larger employers like Walmart have moved to make protective equipment available to all employees, Amazon is left looking stupid/evil/self-destructive in its approach here.

8. lm28469 ◴[03 Apr 20 16:31 UTC] No.22770971[source]▶
> Are there any masks to buy?

If you have the money yes, apparently : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/02/global-battle-...

9. dehrmann ◴[03 Apr 20 16:37 UTC] No.22771085{4}[source]▶
But that's closer to an in-vitro, number, right? It doesn't account for how transmissible it still is?