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ruet

(10,039 posts)
Tue Dec 14, 2021, 02:52 PM Dec 2021

OSHA Probes Amazon Warehouse Where Workers Died With no Tornado Shelter

Source: Ars Technica

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced yesterday that it is opening an investigation into the deaths of six workers at an Amazon warehouse in Illinois that was struck by a massive tornado, one of more than 40 that ripped through the region over the weekend.

Nearly half of the 1.1 million-square-foot building was demolished as winds as high as 150 mph (240 kph) tore through the structure. “The west-facing walls of the warehouse collapsed inward, which was followed by multiple structural failures as the tornado moved through the complex,” the National Weather Service said.

The first warnings came relatively early, at 8:06 pm and again at 8:16 pm, when the NWS issued tornado warnings. A "warning" means that a twister has been sighted or radar data suggests one will form. The NWS says that the tornado formed at 8:28 pm as an EF-0, the lowest on the scale, and quickly intensified to an EF-3 as it moved across Interstate 255. More than 20 minutes elapsed between the first warning and touchdown, over double the average lead time.
Amazon told CNBC that warehouse managers directed workers to find shelter at 8:16 pm, which coincides with the second tornado warning. Most workers huddled in bathrooms on the north end of the building, but a smaller group took shelter on the south end, which was demolished by the tornado. Six workers were killed, while 45 survived.

Read more: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2021/12/osha-investigates-amazon-after-6-die-in-warehouse-struck-by-tornado/?comments=1

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Cracklin Charlie

(12,904 posts)
1. No tornado shelter.
Tue Dec 14, 2021, 02:55 PM
Dec 2021

In Edwardsville, IL?

They are 12 miles east of the Mississippi River. They get huge storms, winter, spring, summer and fall.

This seems criminal, if true.

IronLionZion

(45,528 posts)
2. OSHA kills jobs according to conservatives.
Tue Dec 14, 2021, 02:55 PM
Dec 2021

Conservatives are all about job creation but are fine with killing lots of workers.

Watch these mofos in the GOP talk about regulations killing American businesses.

DURHAM D

(32,611 posts)
3. What are the requirements for a safe room anywhere?
Tue Dec 14, 2021, 02:58 PM
Dec 2021

Not aware of any rules regarding commercial structures. Hope there are some rules.

IL Dem

(815 posts)
4. Per local news reports, there was a shelter in the warehouse, but not everyone was able to get to it
Tue Dec 14, 2021, 02:58 PM
Dec 2021

My understanding is that OSHA investigation is SOP after workplace fatalities.

Slammer

(714 posts)
5. tornado
Tue Dec 14, 2021, 03:05 PM
Dec 2021

Geez, I worked at an airline HQ in tornado alley.

We had evacuation drills for fire and bombs. But if there was a tornado shelter for the 1000+ people who worked there, I never heard of it.

And one of my relatives was the head of building security so I heard everything.

yaesu

(8,020 posts)
7. He can build a rocket ship to the moon but he can't build a tornado shelter
Tue Dec 14, 2021, 03:12 PM
Dec 2021

when you have a rich royalty in a country where life after birth is worthless shit happens.

CloudWatcher

(1,851 posts)
8. Of course he *can*
Tue Dec 14, 2021, 03:28 PM
Dec 2021

They chose not to. It's all a matter of what's really important. Worker bees are disposable.

lillypaddle

(9,581 posts)
10. Help, I'm confused again
Tue Dec 14, 2021, 03:46 PM
Dec 2021

I thought this was a family owned candle factory. Were they subcontracting to Amazon?

forgotmylogin

(7,530 posts)
11. Different location.
Tue Dec 14, 2021, 03:49 PM
Dec 2021

The candle factory I think was in Kentucky. The Amazon warehouse was in Edwardsville, IL.

The tornados were all over the midwest.

 

Budi

(15,325 posts)
13. Makes me want to know how many other businesses had inadequate tornado shelters
Tue Dec 14, 2021, 04:33 PM
Dec 2021

..in the same area.
OSHA's going to be busy

tanyev

(42,613 posts)
14. I figured. That seems to me to be bigger problem than not letting people leave.
Tue Dec 14, 2021, 06:08 PM
Dec 2021

If there's a big storm bearing down I probably wouldn't want to get out on the road, but I sure as heck would want to be working in a place that had adequate storm shelter space for all employees. It's unconscionable that any relatively modern building could be built without sufficient provision for typical weather emergencies in that region.

Javaman

(62,534 posts)
16. they should be investigating the candle factory. they didn't let workers take shelter
Tue Dec 14, 2021, 06:44 PM
Dec 2021

when the tornado alarms were going off. threatened to fire them if they left out of their own safety.

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