The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating an accident involving a punctured bear repellent container at a New Jersey Amazon warehouse Wednesday that left one worker in critical condition and another 24 employees seeking medical treatment.
A 9-ounce can of bear repellent was ruptured by an automated machine at the Amazon fulfillment center in Robbinsville. The aerosol spray dispersed in a confined area on the third floor in the south end of the sprawling warehouse, an Amazon spokeswoman said.
Fifty-four workers experienced difficulty breathing and burning in the throat in eyes after being exposed to the concentrated spray, officials said.
The woman critically injured in the incident is expected to be released Thursday and make a full recovery, officials said. Twenty-four workers were taken to five area hospitals, and were released after being treated. The affected area of the 1.3 million-square-foot warehouse reopened at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
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The OSHA report could take up to six months to complete, said Joanna Hawkins, a spokeswoman for the agency.
Amazon has been cited for 12 OSHA violations at its New Jersey facilities since December 2013, ranging from safety complaints about forklifts to failing to have fall protection, records show. Three of the violations have been contested and deleted, but the company has been fined at least $23,000.
The Robbinsville location — most recently inspected by OSHA in August 2017 — faced a $7,000 citation in 2015 for a violation of “recording criteria.”
OSHA also investigated an Amazon facility in Avenal in December 2013 after a worker died after being crushed by equipment. Citations were issued to Genco, a third-party logistics firm operating the facility, and four temporary staffing agencies, according to OSHA.
Overall, Amazon’s OSHA violations in New Jersey are relatively minor compared to other companies that have been hit with penalties over $300,000 in some cases, according to OSHA data. Amazon is also conducting an investigation independent from OSHA, a company spokeswoman said.
“The safety of our employees is always our top priority and a full investigation is already underway,” she said.
Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snietomunoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her at @snietomunoz. Find NJ.com on Facebook.