Amazon feels a $350,000 burning sensation

Who’d have thought a product called “Amazing Liquid Fire” could be dangerous air cargo? Apparently, not Amazon.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) didn’t think carrying the product, sold as a drain cleaner, was such a hot idea and is looking to slap Amazon with a US$350,000 fine for allegedly shipping prohibited and dangerous goods by air. The proposed fine stems from a 2014 spill of the caustic product, which sent nine UPS employees to the chemical wash after they felt a burning sensation.

This isn’t the first time that shippers have been burned for moving prohibited cargo. In 2015, the FAA levied more than $4.5 million in penalties for improper shipments of hazardous air cargo, an increase from $3.4 million in 2014, according to the Dallas Morning News.

Amazon is feeling the heat, and working with the FAA on the issue, the Seattle-based online retailer said in an e-mailed statement. “We ship tens of millions of products every day and have developed sophisticated technologies to detect potential shipping hazards and use any defects as an opportunity for continuous improvement,” the company said. And with an estimated 3.3 million packages a day, 24 documented violations per year jives with the company’s defense.