The employee allegedly tried to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but says he was prevented from doing so by the supervisor. Information about the death was reportedly withheld for several hours with many workers, who continued to work.
A Amazon is being accused of trying to hide, for several days, the death of a worker at a distribution center in Troutdale, in the state of Oregon, in the United States. At the same time, he would have kept the other employees working close to the place where the man died.
The allegations come in an investigation published by , which reported on the case a week after the death, which occurred on April 6.
According to workers’ reports cited by the publication, an employee fell unconscious in the warehouse and a colleague began cardiopulmonary resuscitation before the emergency services arrived.
One of the employees — identified under the pseudonym “Sam” — said he asked for permission to help, as he had training in basic life support, but claims he was prevented from doing so by his supervisor.
Sam’s superior reportedly responded that only members of management or the security team could intervene, and instructed the workers to look away and get back to work.
Sam described the situation as deeply traumatic.
“I started sobbing and said, ‘I want to help, please!’” Sam told The Western Edge.
The case rekindles recurring criticisms of working conditions in Amazon’s logistics centers, which have long been the target of complaints related to inappropriate work patterns, injuries and pressure for productivity.
In 2024, an investigation conducted by the US Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee, led by Senator Bernie Sanders, accused the company of prioritizing increased productivity over worker safety. Amazon vehemently rejected these conclusions.
Workers at the Troutdale center also told The Western Edge that soundproofing materials installed in the building to reduce noise in office areas would have blocked air circulation, contributing to increased temperatures inside the warehouse. In 2019, the Portland Mercury had described it as “notoriously dangerous”.
The man who died was a “tote runner”, a physically demanding task that involves transporting large yellow plastic containers to distribution carts.
So far, the cause of death has not been disclosed.
According to the testimonies collected, information about the death would have been withheld for several hours along with many workers, who continued to work until they were dismissed at the end of the 3:45 pm recess. This means that part of the team would have remained on site for hours after their colleague collapsed.
After the report was published, Amazon issued a statement about the incident. The statement says the matter is “misinformation”.
“Nothing is more important than the safety of our employees, and our team focused on ensuring that he received the necessary care, protecting his privacy and ensuring the safety of everyone on site, rather than diverting attention from these efforts to immediately evacuate other areas of the building in the first moments. Shortly after this, employees were dismissed to work from home, receiving full pay for the rest of the day”, guaranteed Jeff Bezos’ company.
“When we resumed operations the next day, all employees who requested time off were granted that time off, and we provided on-site psychological support to those who chose to come to work and needed it. We have remained in contact with our colleague’s family and are offering resources during this incredibly difficult time. We deeply mourn the loss of a valued member of our team,” Amazon’s statement concluded.
