An Amazon employee died suddenly last week at the company’s PDX9 warehouse in Troutdale, Oregon. The worker collapsed on the job and later passed away. According to a report from the independent outlet The Western Edge, other employees continued working around him after the incident.
Amazon spokesperson Sam Stephenson confirmed the death and said the company has provided support to the family and arranged on-site grief counselors for warehouse employees. Amazon stated that Oregon’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) determined the incident was not work-related. Employees were sent home early that day and received full pay for their shifts; the night shift was also canceled, and those employees were paid as usual.
However, on a Reddit forum, some users claiming to work at PDX9 said the warehouse had recently become overheated due to the installation of soundproof curtains, which reduced ventilation. They suggested the high temperatures may have compounded the physical demands of the job and could have contributed to the worker’s death. Notably, the warehouse temperature was reportedly cooler the next day.
Working conditions at the PDX9 warehouse have long been questioned. A 2018 investigation found that 26% of employees at the facility had suffered injuries. 2024 OSHA data also showed that Amazon’s fulfillment centers report serious injury rates more than double the warehouse industry average. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York is currently conducting an ongoing investigation into workplace safety at Amazon warehouses.