An Amazon employee at the Troutdale, Oregon, warehouse died at work last week, the company has confirmed. According to the Western Edge, an independent investigative outlet covering the Pacific Northwest, the worker collapsed on the floor at the PDX9 facility and lay dead while colleagues continued working nearby.
Amazon spokesperson Sam Stephenson told TechCrunch the company is “deeply saddened” by the loss and has extended condolences to the employee’s family. Grief counsellors were made available on-site, and the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Department and local emergency medical services responded to the incident.
Several workers posting on a Reddit forum for Amazon fulfilment-centre staff claimed the building had been unusually hot after soundproof curtains were installed, restricting airflow. They suggested the heat may have contributed to the death, compounding the physical demands of warehouse duties. The Western Edge reported that some employees noticed the building was cooler when they returned the following day.
Amazon said Oregon’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found the incident non-work related. Staff sent home early were paid for the remainder of their shift, and the night shift was cancelled with workers compensated.
The PDX9 warehouse has a history of harsh conditions. A 2018 Reveal investigation found that 26% of its employees had sustained injuries. More recent OSHA data for 2024 showed Amazon fulfilment centres reporting serious injuries at more than twice the warehouse industry average.
Federal agencies and prosecutors have launched multiple probes into Amazon warehouse safety, alleging data manipulation and under-reporting of workplace injuries. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York is conducting an ongoing investigation.
Amazon told TechCrunch it has reduced its global recordable incident rate by 43% since 2019โa measure of work-related injuries requiring more than basic first aidโand has invested over $2.5 billion in safety improvements since that year, including hundreds of millions in 2025 alone.
