Amazon's vice president of Global Workplace Health and Safety is out, less than a year after six of the company's workers were killed by a tornado at a company warehouse in Edwardsville.
Amazon was criticized for not providing storm shelters to employees and for not allowing drivers to return home while the storm got worse.
The former VP, Heather MacDougall, is leaving to "pursue other opportunities." In an internal email, Amazon said MacDougall made "meaningful progress on our goal to be the safest workplace in the world."
Jack Casciato, attorney for the family of a driver that was killed, said the company is feeling pressure to make changes.
"Certainly Amazon is starting to recognize that it needs to improve its workplace safety for all American workers and workers worldwide," he said. "A couple days after this tornado struck they hired a chief meteoroloist, which many large companies have."
Casciato added that the public plans for the rebuild of the Edwardsville Amazon warehouse show no design changes or fortifications. According to the plans, Amazon plans to rebuild to "pre-loss conditions."
"We've learned that rebuild still does not include appropriate shelters," he said. "What level of a tragedy needs to occur to make sure that you have those right resources?"
He said he doesn't understand why Amazon would sell storm shelters, but wouldn't include one in its facilities; at the very least in those located in Tornado Alley.
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