As the weather gets warmer, preparedness and prevention are critical to keeping our teams and delivery partners safe. Nothing is more important than their well-being, which is why we have comprehensive heat and weather mitigation policies that exceed state requirements and federal guidance, setting more stringent standards for our sites.
Every day, our team of over 10,000 safety professionals works to maintain the highest safety standards. We use best-in-class technology and preventative measures to keep our people safe and comfortable during hot weather—from climate-control systems in our buildings and air-conditioning in delivery vans to providing protective clothing and hydration supplies. Safety isn't just woven into everything we do: We’re committed to creating the safest possible workplaces for our employees and partners, whether they're inside our facilities, on flight ramps, or delivering on the road.
Keeping our buildings cool
Employees in our North American operations sites—including fulfillment centers, sort centers, air hubs, and delivery stations—work in comfortable, cooled environments. We’re one of the few companies in the industry to have climate control across a broad portfolio of facilities. Our buildings also have industrial fans and building management systems that constantly measure the temperature and heat index (temperature plus humidity) and proactively alert site leaders if and when climate conditions change. Our comprehensive heat mitigation approach extends to our outdoor operations including our Amazon Air hubs, where employees working on flight ramps have air-conditioned crew vans and dedicated cooling stations for breaks, along with readily available hydration supplies and sunscreen.
We also have prevention procedures and training in place to ensure employees stay safe while working in our facilities. We educate all our employees and provide our partners with resources on heat safety, including how to recognize the signs of heat-related illness, understand environmental and personal risk factors, follow hydration guidance, and respond to suspected heat illness incidents. Most importantly, everyone is empowered to take preventive cooldown rest breaks anytime they need and are encouraged to quickly escalate any temperature-related issue so it can be addressed promptly.
Keeping cool outdoors and on the road
We’re continuously evaluating new ways to support Delivery Service Partners (DSPs) and their Delivery Associates (DAs) during fluctuating weather conditions like heat waves. Every Amazon-branded vehicle is air-conditioned—a feature that exceeds the industry standard—and if the air-conditioning isn’t working in a vehicle, that vehicle is taken out of service immediately.
Our Driver Comfort system—a rapid cooling retrofit for step vans now available across our U.S. network—concentrates cold air directly on the driver rather than the entire cabin, improving cooling efficiency. To complement this, we’ve developed a reflective white film for delivery vehicle roofs that reduces interior temperatures even further. Already installed on nearly 5,000 vehicles, we'll expand this technology to over 25,000 more vehicles by 2026, prioritizing those in the hottest regions. To date, we've invested more than $90 million on heat mitigation retrofit investments for our vans.
Beyond being climate-controlled, all Amazon delivery stations are equipped with ice machines, water stations, and supplies to help drivers stay cool and hydrated throughout the day. To support personal comfort on the road, DAs receive electrolyte powder, coolers, 64-ounce insulated tumblers, cooling bandanas, and sunscreen at no cost to their DSP. They’re also outfitted with polo shirts featuring UPF 45 protection in both short and long-sleeve options, as well as bucket hats and lightweight caps. In the hottest regions, we’ve gone a step further—distributing 90,000 pairs of water-activated cooling sleeves to help DAs better manage extreme heat when they’re out of their vehicles.
One of the most effective heat mitigation strategies is ensuring drivers can take additional breaks when needed. We monitor weather and heat index thresholds down to the zip code level, and when temperatures rise beyond certain thresholds, we work with DSPs to adjust DAs’ routes to create additional time for rest. Last year alone, we reduced routes by more than 107 million minutes—approximately 74,000 days—providing DAs extra time to hydrate, rest, and cool down. Also, now through September 30, DSPs can opt in to McDonald's summer promotion, offering drivers two free soft drinks weekly (with $1 minimum purchase) and one biweekly food item (McNuggets or McCrispy sandwiches) at McDonald's locations nationwide. This will also provide drivers access to clean restrooms, complimentary ice and water refills, and comfortable spaces to cool down and take breaks throughout their day. Above all else, we always strongly encourage any DA who is feeling affected by the heat to immediately stop working and get any support they need.
Prioritizing safety during weather events
We closely monitor our nationwide operations 24/7 to help prevent weather-related disruptions from impacting our employees, partners, and customers. Amazon’s Contingency Response Center (CRC) operates around the clock, utilizing a best-in-class, Amazon-developed tool to provide alerts when increasing levels of heat or severe weather events are expected. Once a severe weather alert is flagged, the CRC establishes a clear plan for site leaders and DSPs to adjust their operations as needed. Through this system, the CRC can communicate directly with DAs in real time when severe weather may impact their route and make sure they are able to seek shelter or take a break depending on conditions.
Complementing these efforts, our Amazon Air Network Control Center (NCC) provides another layer of 24/7 vigilance—located near our Amazon Air Hub at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. The NCC is responsible for coordinating with Amazon Air's carrier partners to ensure global operations run safely and on time, and keeping our air sites informed about potential severe weather events so site leaders can adjust as needed to ensure employees stay safe.
Listening to employees and partners
We are constantly listening to our employees and partners’ feedback. They know their jobs better than anyone and often have the best ideas on how we can make our workplaces, and their experience, even better. We leverage a range of tools, including Dragonfly, an Amazon-developed tool that gives Amazon employees the ability to submit safety suggestions and feedback via their smart devices from anywhere, at any time.
Safety—it’s simply how business is done
Safety is at the core of our culture. Nothing is more important than the safety of our employees and partners, and we’re committed to continued relentless innovation and purposeful investment, year-round, to provide the safest workplace in the world.
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