Amazon faces fine for shipping hazardous materials

Hot on the heels of FedEx’s court case, in which the company is accused of knowingly shipping illegal non-prescription drugs, Amazon is also facing fines, of $350,000, for shipping prohibited hazardous materials.

Both cases hinge on whether Amazon or FedEx shipped these items knowingly, which would make the companies complicit in violating regulations. However, while FedEx faces criminal charges, Amazon only faces civil penalties.

The incident that prompted the penalty for Amazon took place in 2014, when nine UPS workers came into contact with a leaking container of hazardous drain cleaner during a flight. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) asserts that Amazon did not meet regulations because the company failed to notify the relevant parties or provide them with the necessary training required to handle the materials.

This is not the first time Amazon has been caught shipping prohibited hazardous materials. It paid another fine of $91,000 in 2014, and the FAA says that it has violated regulations a total of 24 times in just two and a half years, between February 2013 and September 2015.

(Source: Christian Science Monitor)