An inside look at how Amazon in Romulus has changed to keep up with COVID-19 pandemic demands

Many people relying on Amazon to get them through pandemic

ROMULUS, Mich. – With stay-at-home orders and social distancing rules in effect due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, many people have relied on Amazon to get them through the last several months.

Local 4′s Hank Winchester was given access to the massive Amazon distribution center in Romulus as workers process all the pandemic orders.

Earlier this year, some employees threatened to walk off the job over safety concerns, but the company made necessary changes.

The differences are obvious as you walk in the door: temperature and health checks, cleaning crews, signage and technology reminding people to keep a safe distance.

From the main distribution floor to the break room, changes were made to address COVID-19 concerns. Some employees at the facility were unhappy with how Amazon responded to the pandemic. They were vocal and wanted change.

Employees are now in place with one task: to monitor social distancing. There are 50 team members on the lookout. Overall, the company is spending more than $4 billion on coronavirus-related initiatives.

There’s a massive effort to keep up with demand while making sure employees are safe in company buildings and trucks.

You can watch Help Me Hank’s inside look at Amazon in the video posted above.


About the Authors:

Hank Winchester is Local 4’s Consumer Investigative Reporter and the head of WDIV’s “Help Me Hank” Consumer Unit. Hank works to solve consumer complaints, reveal important recalls and track down thieves who have ripped off people in our community.

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.