OSHA investigating Amazon warehouse collapse in Illinois

The facility collapsed during a tornado, killing six workers

December 14, 2021

Federal regulators are investigating the collapse of an Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, Ill., which occurred Friday night during a tornado in the region, the Washington Post reports.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration confirmed Monday that compliance officers have been at the building collapse since this weekend. It has six months to conduct the investigation, it said in a statement. (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.)

The 1.1-million-square-foot Amazon facility was severely damaged Friday when a tornado ripped through the area. Six people died in the building, and a seventh was injured, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said at a news conference Monday.

An investigation to look at potential structural issues and ensure that the building is up to code is ongoing, officials said at the news conference. Amazon spokeswoman Kelly Nantel said at the conference that the Amazon facility was “constructed consistent with code.”