An Amazon warehouse worker died while working at an Oregon facility

An Amazon employee died at a Troutdale, Oregon, warehouse on the job last week, a company spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch.

According to a report from Western edgean independent investigative outlet covering the Pacific Northwest, the worker collapsed to the floor at the PDX9 warehouse and remained dead as employees continued to work around him.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of one of our team members, and our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with their loved ones during this difficult time,” Amazon spokesperson Sam Stevenson told TechCrunch. “We have been in contact with his family and provided resources to support them. For staff at our PDX9 facility, we have provided on-site grief counselors and additional support. We are grateful for the work of the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Department and local EMS.”

On a Reddit forum As for workers at the Amazon fulfillment center, several people claiming to work at PDX9 said the building was particularly hot after soundproofing curtains were installed, which limited airflow. They speculated that the heat may have contributed to the employee’s death, because it would have exacerbated the physical demands of fulfillment center work. According to Western Edge, some employees noticed that the building had become colder when they returned to work the next day.

However, Amazon said the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) determined the incident was not work-related. Employees were sent home early and paid for the remainder of their shift. The night shift has been cancelled, and employees scheduled to work have also been paid their salaries, according to the company.

PDX9 warehouse has a good reputation strict Working conditions in 2018, investigation from revealsan investigative journalism outlet, found that 26% of employees at the warehouse were injured. a report Based on 2024 OSHA data, it showed that the company’s fulfillment centers reported serious injuries at a rate more than double the warehouse industry average.

Amazon’s fulfillment centers have been the subject of several investigations by federal agencies and prosecutors over warehouse safety, with investigators alleging that the company… Manipulated data and failed to document properly Workplace injuries. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York is conducting an investigation Ongoing investigation To workplace safety in Amazon warehouses.

Amazon told TechCrunch that the company witnessed 43% discount in the global recordable accident rate since 2019 – a metric that tracks any work-related injury that requires more than just basic first aid. The company said it has invested more than $2.5 billion in safety improvements since 2019, including hundreds of millions of dollars in 2026 alone.