From CNET: Four Amazon warehouse workers have died in separate incidents over a span of less than four weeks. While the details of each death are still forthcoming, the fatalities shine an even stronger spotlight on a common complaint about Amazon: that it requires a brutal pace of work and puts employees at risk of injury and overheating.
A range of circumstances surround the deaths. Rafael Reynaldo Mota Frias, 42, reportedly died of a heart attack in Carteret, New Jersey, as Prime Day kicked off on July 12. Another worker, Rodger Boland, died after falling from a short ladder and hitting his head in Robbinsville, New Jersey. Alex Carillo, 22, died six days after an Aug. 1 forklift crash in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
A fourth worker, Eric Vadinsky, died after a workplace incident in Monroe Township, New Jersey, on Aug. 4. The deaths are all under investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which has six months to release its findings.
Amazon expressed condolences to all the families of the deceased. "Each of these tragic incidents have affected our teams greatly, and we are providing resources for families and employees who need them," said Amazon spokesman Sam Stephenson. "Our investigations are ongoing and we're cooperating with OSHA, which is conducting its own reviews of the events, as it often does in these situations."
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