FAA Fines Amazon for Hazardous Materials Violation
We know Amazon is dedicated to a strict, “no exceptions” policy when it comes to violations by the many independent sellers on the platform. Now, the tables have turned – according to several major news sources, Bezos and his team are facing a major problem with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration due to a violation of FAA policies.
According to a variety of credible news sources, Amazon violated the FAA Hazardous Materials Policy 2014 by shipping one gallon of a product called “Liquid Fire”, a corrosive drain clog remover. This alleged violation is not only against the rules set forth by the FAA, but it also caused injury to several staff members on a flight from Louisville, Kentucky to Boulder, Colorado. The Liquid Fire product allegedly leaked through its packaging during the flight and harmed the skin of nine UPS workers, who claim they felt a “burning” sensation and required medical treatment with a chemical rinse immediately following the incident.
FAA representatives stated that the shipment was not properly labeled to indicate dangerous materials and did not state clearly that hazardous materials may be inside the package. The FAA is currently seeking nearly $50,000 in fines from Amazon for this incident.
Apparently, this is not the first occasion in which the FAA has fined Amazon for violating their hazardous materials policy. According to Reuters and various other news sources, Amazon has violated FAA hazardous materials policy about 24 times between 2013 and 2015. The FAA does not publicly release the details of each incident, but it is known that Amazon paid nearly $100,000 in fines to the FAA in 2014 for a similar incident. As for the other 23 incidents, it is unclear how they were settled and if Amazon paid any fines.
Naturally, Amazon did not offer any comments on this alleged violation of the FAA hazardous materials policy.