Rhode Island lawmakers to consider warehouse safety bill

Rhode Island is the latest state to attempt to address the alleged causes of injuries for those working in warehouses and retail distribution centers.

H.B. 5047, introduced Wednesday, states that performance quotas, common in warehouse work, “generally do not allow for workers to comply with safety guidelines or to recover from strenuous activity during productive work time, leaving warehouse and distribution center employees who work under them at high risk of injury and illness.”

The bill calls for employers to provide to each employee, upon hire and following any policy changes, a written description of each quota, including the quantified number of tasks to be performed or materials to be produced or handled within the defined time period, and any potential adverse employment action that could result from failure to meet the quota.

The bill also states that an employee “shall not be required to meet a quota that prevents compliance with meal or rest periods, use of bathroom facilities, including reasonable travel time to and from bathroom facilities, or occupational health and safety laws in the labor laws or department standards” and that an employer would be prohibited from taking adverse employment action against an employee for failure to meet a quota for such reasons.