An Amazon worker died sitting in his car outside the company's biggest warehouse in Europe. The worker is said to have experienced a 'medical episode' while sitting in his car waiting for his shift to start in Tilbury, Essex on Sunday, November 7. The warehouse was closed at the time of the death. It is believed that the worker reached early and waited in his car ahead of his shift for personal reasons before he fell ill.
An East Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman noted that they received a call at 8:10 am with "reports of a person who was unwell in Winchelsea Road, Tilbury." "We sent one ambulance, however, the person sadly died at the scene." A police spokesperson stated that "the death is not being treated as suspicious."
An Amazon spokesperson offered condolence to the deceased in a statement. "We're deeply saddened by this tragic event. Their family and loved ones are in our thoughts, and we're supporting them and our employees during this difficult time," the statement added. According to reports, the deceased worker's colleagues were offered counseling to help grieve the loss.
Essex Depot is infamous for 'poor treatment of staff'
Amazon's biggest depot in Europe is a two million square foot site at Tilbury that employs 4000 workers. The site has been surrounded by claims of poor treatment of staff. The workers at the site are allegedly so overworked that reports of them 'falling asleep in the toilets' have surfaced because of exhaustion. A 42-year-old worker, Michael Gabay said he experienced "100 days of hell" at the depot where workers "walk around like zombies" during ten-hour shifts. "Why are people treated like this? [Amazon boss] Jeff Bezos is the richest man in the world and this is how his company is run," he said.
Another worker, a woman said she was "told off" for not completing the target of packing 120 items per hour despite being six months pregnant. She then claimed that another pregnant woman, who became sick at the site was not allowed to get an ambulance. "They called her a taxi after taking her to the first aider."
Amazon denied the allegations
Amazon dissed all the claims and said they were not "an accurate portrayal of activities in our building." "Tilbury fulfilment centre is a safe and positive workplace. Safety is our No1 priority and we take the wellbeing of our associates extremely seriously. We will always call an ambulance if one is required. Our team of on-site first-aiders follow NHS guidance when an ambulance should be called," a spokesperson said.
