At least six Amazon workers were killed on December 10, 2021 when the company's warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois collapsed after being struck by a tornado. Following the collapse, workers raised concerns about the lack of tornado-specific workplace safety protocols and training, and an Amazon policy banning cell phones that prevents them from accessing severe weather alerts. Some workers said they were prevented from leaving the warehouse during the tornado warning and were told to shelter in place.

An Amazon spokesperson said the Edwardsville site received a tornado warning through various alerts, and the team on site at the time worked to get as many workers and partners into a designated shelter area... . John Felton, Amazon’s senior vice president of global delivery services, said at a news conference Monday that “all procedures were followed correctly.”  Amazon spokeswoman Alisa Carroll said, “Employees and drivers are allowed to have their cell phones with them,” she said by email.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced that it would investigate the circumstances surrounding the warehouse collapse to determine whether there were violations of workplace health and safety regulations. Amazon spokeswoman Kelly Nantel said the company would cooperate with the investigation. "OSHA investigates all workplace fatalities and we are supporting them," ... .

Warehouse Workers for Justice have called for a hearing in the Illinois state legislature to examine what caused the worker' deaths, and have demanded Amazon ensure it has safety protocols in place for extreme weather and other risks in the future.

Further company comments can be found below.