Over-Exertion & Heat Stress Fatality at Amazon Warehouse

A warehouse employee at Amazon’s EWR9 fulfillment center in Carteret, New Jersey, collapsed during his shift on July 13, 2022, amid the company’s high-pressure Prime Day rush. The worker, identified only as “Rafael,” was performing fast-paced material-handling duties in an upper-floor area reported by coworkers to have elevated temperatures and limited ventilation. He later died at the hospital. OSHA launched a federal investigation after workers expressed concern that heat stress, over-exertion, and demanding productivity rates may have contributed to the fatality. Some employees reported that the worker had complained of chest pain before collapsing […]