Temporary worker dies at Amazon facility

• Worker who died was employed by temporary staffing firm Abacus
• Genco oversees package sorting at Amazon facility where death occurred
• Amazon has been under scrutiny for working conditions at its warehouses
• OSHA is pushing for more safety protections for temporary workers

SAN FRANCISCO — A temporary worker at a facility that sorts packages for Amazon.com died after being crushed by equipment, according to the company and government officials.

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration, or OSHA, is investigating the incident and an official tied it to a broad initiative launched in April to increase the safety of temporary workers.

"We are deeply saddened and our hearts go out to his family and loved ones," Amazon spokeswoman Mary Osako said Tuesday. "Any accident that occurs in a facility is one too many and we and OSHA are actively investigating what happened at this site."

The incident happened on Dec. 4 at the facility in Avenell, N.J., according to a report by OSHA.

The worker was caught in between and crushed by equipment at the facility, according to Joanna Hawkins, Deputy Regional Director at the U.S. Department of Labor. OSHA is investigating the incident and has six months to release its findings, she added.

The victim was employed by Abacus, a temporary staffing agency that has an office on site at the Avenell center, according to Leni Uddyback-Fortson, an OSHA regional director.

"Cases like this are at the root of OSHA's national initiative on temporary workers," she added.

When OSHA launched the initiative this year, the regulator said it was concerned that some employers may use temporary workers to avoid meeting their workplace safety obligations.

"There are about three million temporary workers in the workforce today, some of whom are doing hazardous jobs at building sites, factories and warehouses like this Amazon facility," Uddyback-Fortson said. "Both host employers and temporary staffing agencies have roles in complying with workplace safety rules and ensuring worker safety."

Amazon employs thousands of temporary workers to handle the extra packages that need to be delivered during the holiday shopping season. Amazon's U.S. warehouses have a solid record with OSHA and the company has highlighted that it is safer to work in its fulfillment centers than in a department store, based on OSHA safety data.

However, the company has come under scrutiny recently for physically demanding working conditions at its fulfillment centers.

Amazon's German business, its second largest after the U.S., has suffered bouts of labor unrest since a TV documentary earlier this year showed seasonal workers brought in to help with the 2012 holiday rush being harassed by security guards.

Amazon quickly cut ties with the security firm in question and the company has defended the working conditions at its warehouses. However, the strikes highlight the tension between Amazon's push for fast shipping and low prices and the experience of employees at its distribution centers. More than 1,000 German workers at Amazon warehouses in Germany went on strike Monday.

The Avenell facility, which is owned by Amazon, is not one of the company's traditional, large fulfillment centers. Rather it is used to sort packages for the company and the sorting is overseen by a third-party called Genco, a supply chain and logistics firm.

A Genco marketing and communications representative Donald Rendulic did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday afternoon.

A call to Abacus's on-site office in Avenell, New Jersey, was picked up by a woman who declined to identify herself or comment on the Dec. 4 death.

The incident was reported earlier on Tuesday by All Things D.