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Heat in Pa. Amazon warehouse sent several to hospital

A company official said 15 employees had heat-related symptoms, and six were treated at a hospital

The Associated Press

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A newspaper says sweltering conditions inside an Amazon.com warehouse in eastern Pennsylvania over the summer sent several employees to hospitals and led to a federal inspection.

The (Allentown) Morning Call reports that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued no fines but made recommendations on how the company could improve its heat-stress management plan at the Breinigsville warehouse.

The newspaper cited documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request in reporting that an emergency room doctor at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest called an OSHA hotline in June after seeing several workers. A company official later said 15 employees had heat-related symptoms, and six were treated at a hospital.

An Amazon official said in a statement that the company goes to “great lengths to ensure a safe work environment.”