MEMPHIS, TN – A FedEx employee succumbed to her injuries after an accident at the FedEx World Hub in Memphis, marking the fifth fatality at the location since 2017. The Memphis Police responded to a call regarding a work-related accident at the FedEx World Hub on Sprankel Avenue late on Wednesday.
An injured female employee was transported to the hospital in a critical state, where she was later pronounced dead. Various reports and social media posts indicate that the victim was a woman in her 80s.
These tragedies have sparked a renewed plea for better workplace safety measures, particularly during the high-demand holiday season. Attorney Jeff Rosenblum, who has represented several families of victims, expressed his concern stating, “One person is too many…When is there going to be change where we say, we need to slow down?”
The cause of the recent accident remains undisclosed. However, a number of accidents occurred previously at the hub, each resulting in fatalities. In 2020, a worker died when an industrial truck hit the UTV he was operating, and in February of this year, a forklift operator was killed when her vehicle toppled onto her. Other fatalities include a worker struck by a shipping container door in 2019, and in 2017, an employee was found under a motorized mobile conveyor belt system.
Notably, both federal and state bodies have fined FedEx nearly $50,000 for deaths at the hub over the last six years. Some fines were waived or reduced after FedEx committed to rectifying the issues identified. Investigations regarding the recent death are pending.
In response to the incident, FedEx issued a statement extending their deepest sympathies to the victim’s family and friends, reiterating that safety remains their highest priority and that they are investigating the accident.