Amazon Ordered Work to Continue Around Body of Worker Dead on Warehouse Floor
A worker collapsed and died on the floor of an Amazon warehouse in Troutdale, Oregon, on April 6, as managers ordered employees to keep working around his body for more than an hour after emergency services were called.
Workers say management told them to “just turn around and not look” at their dead coworker and to “get back to work,” according to accounts reported by The Western Edge.
The 46-year-old man collapsed and struck his head on the concrete floor, according to workers and 911 call recordings. One caller reported heavy bleeding from the man’s head. A worker began performing CPR and called for help, while a manager prevented another CPR-trained worker from assisting.
Amazon blamed the worker’s death on a “pre-existing medical condition”. The monopoly stated they continued operations that day to protect the privacy of the deceased worker and avoid distracting first responders. Amazon’s statement did not explain how workers continuing to sort and move packages near their dead coworker’s body achieved that.
Workers told The Western Edge the man worked as a “tote runner,” a physically taxing job involving hauling stacked bins across long warehouse aisles and supplying materials to other stations. Workers at the facility, called PDX9, report staffing reductions in that role have increased workloads and physical strain.
The monopoly told workers they would be paid for the remainder of the day and offered unpaid leave, but has yet to pay those wages, according to a worker who spoke with The Western Edge.
Amazon said OSHA classified the death as non-work-related. OSHA has previously issued the same determination after three workers’ deaths at Amazon facilities New Jersey in 2022 during a heat wave which coincided with the monopoly’s “Prime Day,” itself infamous for ratcheting up work tempos for warehouse workers and delivery drivers.
Recently installed sound-dampening curtains at PDX9 have reduced ventilation and increased temperatures in the facility, according to workers. A 2019 investigation by Reveal found PDX9 had the highest injury rate among 23 Amazon warehouses reviewed using OSHA data, with more than a quarter of workers reporting injuries in a single year.
Amazon has a serious injury rate reported to be roughly twice the warehouse industry average in 2024 and has a history of rabid union-busting. In December 2023, workers at a Colorado warehouse said management concealed a deceased coworker behind boxes so operations could continue.
Alongside other logistics monopolies, Amazon has expanded automation across its network in recent years, leading to layoffs and higher work tempos.
Amazon reported $716.9 billion in net sales in 2025.
Image: Amazon Fulfillment Center in Troutdale, Oregon. Credit: Tedder on Wikimedia
