Dept. of Labor investigates worker deaths at Amazon distribution centers

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/06/14/dept-of-labor-investigates-worker-deaths-at-amazon-distribution-centers/



Dept. of Labor investigates worker deaths at Amazon distribution centers
By Arturo Garcia
Saturday, June 14, 2014 17:15 EDT

The U.S. Department of Labor has launched an investigation into worker safety at distribution centers for online shopping giant Amazon following the second fatal accident at company facilities within the past six months, Bloomberg News reported.

The most recent incident occurred on June 1, when an employee at an Amazon “fulfillment center” in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, died after the motorized pallet jack she was operating crashed into some shelves, resulting in her being pinned underneath.

The Associated Press identified the employee as 52-year-old Jody Rhoads. Coroners in Cumberland County determined she died from “multiple traumatic injuries.” The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has launched its own investigation into her death. Amazon promised to cooperate with OSHA’s probe.

“Any accident that occurs in a facility is one too many and we take these matters seriously,” the company said in a statement.