Does Amazon ban cellphones at Edwardsville warehouse where tornado killed six workers?
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Read more of the BND’s stories following a tornado that killed six at an Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville on Dec. 10, 2021.
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Does Amazon ban workers from having cellphones at Edwardsville warehouse where a tornado killed six people Friday night?
The short answer is “no,” according to Amazon.
The subject came up during a news conference Monday, during which Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and officials with Amazon were asked about the company’s worker safety policies and procedures, and how much warning employees had Friday that the storm was approaching.
“Employees are allowed to have cellphones inside the facility,” said Kelly Nantel, director of national media relations for Amazon. “There’s no prohibition against that.”
“There are rules around what they can do with those cellphones, obviously because safety is the most important thing for anyone who is inside the facility like that,” Nantel said during the news conference.
“We do know that oftentimes employees put their cellphones in their bags or their purse so they may not have it on their person, but there’s no prohibition against them having it.”
Pritzker also acknowledged the cellphone issue when he addressed reporters.
“You all have asked some questions about whether people had their cellphones or were allowed to have their cellphones and I’m told they were,” Pritzker said.
After the tornado struck Friday, questions about Amazon’s cellphone policy were raised on social media and in an article on Bloomberg.com.
This story was originally published December 15, 2021 at 10:02 AM.
