Amazon Denies Work-Related Cause of Warehouse Death Amid Safety Concerns

Amazon is facing scrutiny following the death of a worker at its PDX9 fulfillment center in Troutdale, Oregon, on April 6, 2026. The incident has sparked allegations of callous management and poor working conditions, contrasting with the company’s official position that the death was not related to the employee’s job.

According to reporting from The Western Edge, the employee collapsed on the warehouse floor. While a woman attempted to save the individual by performing chest compressions, other staff members claimed they were instructed to continue their duties despite the presence of the deceased colleague.

An employee, identified by the pseudonym Sam, told The Western Edge that he was trained in CPR and offered to assist the woman performing compressions. He reported that his supervisor responded by stating it has to be management or safety team.

Just turn around and not look. Let’s get back to work

Supervisor at PDX9 facility, via The Western Edge

Amazon spokesperson Sam Stephenson confirmed the death to TechCrunch, stating that the company has provided resources to the family and onsite grief counselors for employees at the PDX9 facility. Amazon further stated that Oregon’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) determined the incident to be non-work related.

Environmental Concerns and Facility Conditions

Following the incident, some employees at the PDX9 warehouse used a Reddit forum to raise concerns about the facility’s temperature. They claimed the building had become especially hot after the installation of soundproof curtains, which they alleged limited airflow and increased the physical strain of fulfillment center work.

These employees speculated that the heat may have contributed to the worker’s collapse. The Western Edge noted that some staff members observed the building was cooler when they returned to work the day after the incident.

Regulatory and Safety Context

This event occurs amid ongoing criticism of Amazon’s warehouse safety protocols. In 2024, an investigation led by Senator Bernie Sanders, a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, accused Amazon of prioritizing higher productivity at the expense of employee safety. Amazon denied those conclusions at the time.

The reports of work continuing around a deceased employee echo previous controversies. On December 27, 2022, 61-year-old Rick Jacobs died following a cardiac event at the Amazon DEN4 warehouse in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

In the Colorado incident, witnesses alleged that Amazon used large cardboard bins as a makeshift barrier to block off the area where Jacobs’ body lay on the outbound shipping dock. Workers at that facility claimed they were not notified of the death and continued working as usual while waiting for a coroner to arrive. Amazon denied the use of boxes to cordon off the area, stating that managers remained nearby to ensure privacy and security.

The pattern of reported incidents has led to recurring accusations from staff regarding a lack of transparency and a disregard for human emotion within Amazon’s logistics operations.