Worker Death at Oregon Amazon Facility Sparks Conflicting Accounts

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Oregon: A 46-year-old employee died during a shift at an Amazon fulfilment centre in Troutdale on April 6, with co-workers alleging that work activity did not immediately stop after the incident.

The case, initially reported by Western Edge and later acknowledged by the company, involved a worker who suddenly collapsed while carrying out duties as a “tote runner” — a role that involves transporting stacks of bins across the warehouse floor. Emergency responders were alerted just before 2 pm after a caller reported that the individual had sustained a head injury and was bleeding.

Some employees said supervisors told those nearby to continue their tasks as events unfolded, with claims that certain staff were instructed not to watch the situation while operations such as sorting and loading went on close by.

Amazon has pushed back on parts of these allegations, stating that the worker’s collapse was linked to an underlying health issue. The company said trained team members quickly performed CPR and used an automated defibrillator until paramedics reached the site.

In a statement, Amazon said employee safety remains its top priority, noting that the immediate area was cleared to allow emergency teams to carry out their work without obstruction. It added that a full evacuation was not initiated to avoid hindering medical assistance.

The company said staff were later dismissed with pay and that operations were stopped for the rest of the shift, with the overnight shift also called off. However, some workers maintained that activity continued in sections of the facility for a longer period and that not everyone was promptly informed about the death.

Amazon said it has reached out to the employee’s family, made counselling support available to workers, and allowed time off for staff when operations resumed the next day.