Training Videos

With winter weather there comes snow, ice, sleet, and other slippery surfaces that pose a risk to DAs while delivering packages. That’s why Amazon has made a significant investment to provide you with personal protective equipment, and other items such as snow shovels, windshield frost guard covers, roadside emergency kits, flashlights, ice scrapers, and snow brushes. Amazon also understands the risk weather poses and has a team monitoring weather conditions, down to the Delivery Station, to adjust operations in order to keep you safe and give you time in your day so you can go slower and rest as needed. We also want to provide you with relevant tips to stay safe when encountering slippery surfaces. These tips will focus on walking using the marching technique, proper footwear, and safe delivery practices. First and most importantly, never jog or run when making a delivery, especially when there is snow and ice on the ground. Instead, walk slowly and use the marching technique, as it has been proven to keep adults upright on slippery surfaces! The marching technique starts with ensuring your head is over your shoulders, your shoulders are over your hips, your hips are over your ankles, and your head is up with your eyes looking forward. Pick a target ahead of you in your walk path, as you walk to the target begin making small marching half steps at a slow and steady pace with a full flat foot. Keep your head looking forward and scan your path of travel looking for any obstructions. If necessary, stop walking to ensure your pathway is still clear before proceeding. Do not look directly down at your feet. Your arms and hands should be at your side and your hands should NOT be in your pockets. If you are carrying a package, keep that package in your power zone and close to your body. Next, always wear slip-resistant, closed toe, closed heel shoes. Slip-resistant shoes have rubber soles and tread patterns that are designed to grip slippery surfaces and help reduce the risk of a slip, trip, or fall. If you are in an area where you need to wear shoe grips or ice cleats over your slip-resistant shoes, work with your DSP so that you can be prepared for your day. Finally, when getting in or out of the vehicle, or going up or down customers’ steps, be extremely cautious, look for uneven surfaces or steps outside the vehicle, and always use 3-points of contact. This means at all times 2 hands and 1 foot, or 2 feet and 1 hand is in contact with a solid surface like a step or handrail. If you are carrying a package and exiting the vehicle, bend at the knees, place the package on the floor out of your walk path, and then use 3-points of contact to exit the vehicle. Once on the ground, fully turn your body around, making sure not to twist, and pick up the package. On the walk to and from the delivery point, use the marching technique and continuously scan the area looking for slick surfaces, objects that may be obscured by snow or additional trip hazards. Even if the area has been shoveled, it can refreeze, creating more icy spots. So, let’s recap. In slippery winter weather conditions, it is important to use the marching technique, wear slip resistant, closed toe, and closed heel shoes, and use 3-points of contact when making a delivery. Remember your safety is our top priority! If at any time you do not feel safe making a delivery, you should contact your DSP and return to station.

With winter weather there comes snow, ice, sleet, and other slippery surfaces that pose a risk to DAs while delivering packages. That’s why Amazon has made a significant investment to provide you with personal protective equipment, and other items such as snow shovels, windshield frost guard covers, roadside emergency kits, flashlights, ice scrapers, and snow brushes.

Amazon also understands the risk weather poses and has a team monitoring weather conditions, down to the Delivery Station, to adjust operations in order to keep you safe and give you time in your day so you can go slower and rest as needed.

We also want to provide you with relevant tips to stay safe when encountering slippery surfaces. These tips will focus on walking using the marching technique, proper footwear, and safe delivery practices.

First and most importantly, never jog or run when making a delivery, especially when there is snow and ice on the ground. Instead, walk slowly and use the marching technique, as it has been proven to keep adults upright on slippery surfaces!

The marching technique starts with ensuring your head is over your shoulders, your shoulders are over your hips, your hips are over your ankles, and your head is up with your eyes looking forward.

Pick a target ahead of you in your walk path, as you walk to the target begin making small marching half steps at a slow and steady pace with a full flat foot. Keep your head looking forward and scan your path of travel looking for any obstructions. If necessary, stop walking to ensure your pathway is still clear before proceeding. Do not look directly down at your feet. Your arms and hands should be at your side and your hands should NOT be in your pockets. If you are carrying a package, keep that package in your power zone and close to your body.

Next, always wear slip-resistant, closed toe, closed heel shoes.

Slip-resistant shoes have rubber soles and tread patterns that are designed to grip slippery surfaces and help reduce the risk of a slip, trip, or fall.

If you are in an area where you need to wear shoe grips or ice cleats over your slip-resistant shoes, work with your DSP so that you can be prepared for your day.

Finally, when getting in or out of the vehicle, or going up or down customers’ steps, be extremely cautious, look for uneven surfaces or steps outside the vehicle, and always use 3-points of contact. This means at all times 2 hands and 1 foot, or 2 feet and 1 hand is in contact with a solid surface like a step or handrail. If you are carrying a package and exiting the vehicle, bend at the knees, place the package on the floor out of your walk path, and then use 3-points of contact to exit the vehicle. Once on the ground, fully turn your body around, making sure not to twist, and pick up the package.

On the walk to and from the delivery point, use the marching technique and continuously scan the area looking for slick surfaces, objects that may be obscured by snow or additional trip hazards. Even if the area has been shoveled, it can refreeze, creating more icy spots.

So, let’s recap. In slippery winter weather conditions, it is important to use the marching technique, wear slip resistant, closed toe, and closed heel shoes, and use 3-points of contact when making a delivery.

Remember your safety is our top priority! If at any time you do not feel safe making a delivery, you should contact your DSP and return to station.

As we enter into fall and winter months, the days become shorter and the amount of time you spend making deliveries in the dark increases. This has the potential to increase your risk of an injury when making a delivery or being involved in a traffic incident. To help support you in staying safe while delivering in the dark, this video will provide you with 5 critical tips to reduce the risk of injury or motor vehicle accident. These steps include scanning the area for hazards, making your presence known, using your headlights effectively, reducing your speed, and wearing your Amazon branded reflective vest. First, always scan the area and walk path for trip hazards, signs of pets, or other apparent hazards. Be sure to avoid grassy areas where there may be hidden holes, uneven terrain, tree roots or slick grass. If needed, use a flashlight to identify slip, trip, and falls hazards while making a delivery. Second, remember even if you do not see signs of pets or people at the delivery point, make your presence known by making noise, shaking your keys, or announcing “Amazon Delivery”. This will allow them to gain awareness of your presence on the property. Don’t forget to look in the Delivery App for the paw print icon to see if any pets are on the property. You may also send the customer a pre-populated message through the delivery app to let them know you are with Amazon and that they should secure their pets and turn on lights in the delivery area. Third, as you know your visibility is reduced when driving in the dark. Normal headlight visibility is limited to 250 ft and high-beam headlight visibility is limited to 500 ft. With reduced visibility, you have less time to react to a hazard. To increase your reaction time, slow down and increase your following distance. Fourth, turn your headlights on one hour before sunset and keep them on for the rest of your route. If you are on an early morning route, keep your headlights on until at least one hour after sunrise. This will help you to see the road and also BE seen. High-beam headlights can be particularly useful in rural areas or open roads, but remember to be courteous to other drivers and turn your high-beams off as you come within 500 feet of oncoming traffic or if you are following another vehicle. If oncoming traffics headlights are creating a hazard to your own visibility, be sure to shift your gaze down and to the right; keeping your eyes on the edge of the road or your lane markings to keep you on track. Finally, before leaving the station be sure to wear your reflective Amazon-branded vest as your outermost layer. This will help customers recognize you and make you more visible to pedestrians and motorists as you make a delivery. Remember your safety is the top priority and delivering in the dark can present some unique challenges. Following these 5 critical delivering in the dark safety tips can help reduce your risk of injury or traffic incident. If you need additional supplies, such as a flashlight or vest, ask your DSP or station team.