Three Amazon workers died on the job in New Jersey over past month, authorities say

A file photo of a worker preparing packaged products for shipment at an Amazon Fulfilment Center in Tracy, California. Authorities are investigating the deaths of three Amazon workers at the company’s New Jersey facilities. — Reuters

The US federal government is investigating the deaths of three Amazon workers who died at facilities in New Jersey over several weeks this summer.

The first death occurred July 13 in Middlesex County at the company’s EWR9 fulfillment center in the 8000 block of Industrial Highway in Carteret, an Amazon official said. The man died during Prime Day, the company’s biggest sale event of the year.

Eleven days later, on July 24, a worker suffered fatal injuries at the PNE5 Amazon facility on Applegate Drive in Robbinsville, Mercer County. The worker died on July 27, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

On Aug 4, there was a worker fatality at DEY6 delivery station facility on Farrington Boulevard in Monroe Township in Middlesex County, according to OSHA.

None of the workers have been identified and Amazon and OSHA have not provided additional details, including causes of each death.

“Because these are all under investigation, the information that can be released is limited,” Joanna P. Hawkins, deputy director of the US Department of Labor’s Office of Public Affairs, told NJ Advance Media.

Hawkins said the federal agency has up to six months to investigate each death.

Sam Stephenson, an Amazon spokesman, said Thursday “each of these tragic incidents have affected our teams greatly, and we are providing resources for families and employees who need them”.

Stephenson said Amazon is cooperating with OSHA with its investigation. Amazon said the Carteret death was “a personal medical condition” and not a work-related death.

Robbinsville Police Chief Michael Polaski told NJ Advance Media on Thursday that officers were called to the Applegate Drive warehouse shortly after 8am on July 24 on a report of a worker who fell off a three-foot ladder and struck his head in an open docking bay.

“When patrol arrived, the worker was conscious and alert,” Polaski said, adding that the victim’s co-workers performed CPR before police arrived.

The worker was taken to Capitol Health Regional Trauma Center and died three days later, according to police and OSHA.

Polaski said the police department notified OSHA of the incident the same day the man was injured. – nj.com/Tribune News Service