Walmart comes in second for most severe workplace injuries or death

A 19-year-old Walmart employee who was 'baked to death' inside a large walk-in oven has raised questions about the company's safety practices.

Gursimran Kaur's charred remains were discovered inside an industrial oven at a store in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in Canada last Saturday.

But the multi-billion-dollar retail giant has a long list of deadly incidents at its locations across the US, including a grandmother crushed to death by a forklift at a Walmart warehouse in Texas in February.

Other grisly injuries involve a worker who suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning from a malfunctioning freezer, a female staffer who lost her baby after slipping near an ice machine and a man whose fingers were cut off by a meat slicer.

Walmart has the second highest worker injury rate in the US with three serious incidents per 100 full-time workers, according to Strategic Organizing Center, a coalition of some of the country’s biggest labor unions.

But it also employs more people than any company in the US with more than 1.6 million staff in stores and distribution centers.

A company spokesperson told DailyMail.com that its 'safety record is consistent with or better than that of U.S. retail peers.'

However, some injured employees have said that Walmart has failed to take immediate medical action in the past. 

David Bradshaw, 30, died in March after collapsing in a breakroom and was allegedly denied medical attention for an hour. 

He collapsed during a shift at a Shelby, North Carolina distribution center.

Bradshaw 'fell face down on the floor and appeared to have a seizure' near the breakroom.

His mother, Linda, told WBTV: 'There was a period of time that was that he laid there when he collapsed that they did not call– no one called 911.'

Employees claimed there was an AED on site, but it was locked and only used by someone who had been trained.

Meanwhile, Elena Rios, 68, was working a shift at a warehouse in Fort Worth, Texas in February when she was crushed between a forklift and a pallet rack.

Rios, a mother of four and grandmother of 13, had been employed at Walmart for 10 years and was certified to operate forklifts and other heavy machinery.

She had been operating the forklift at the time of the accident.

Shockingly, the family first learned about the fatal accident on the news and was given conflicting information about what occurred.

The family still doesn't know exactly what caused her death.

Walmart closed the facility for the day after Elena was killed and offered counseling 'and other resources to our associates as they cope with this tragic event,' the statement said.

However, the family is unhappy with what they said was a complete lack of communication and transparency.

Data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) showed 571 incidents recorded between January 2015 and May 2022.

That was second only to the United States Postal Service (USPS) with 1,142 injuries.

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Family of Halifax Walmart worker, 19, 'traumatized' by walk-in oven death

'While all injuries are unfortunate, Walmart adapts policies, training, and practices to help prevent injuries and respond to emerging trends,' the Walmart spokesperson said.

'The data do not support a view that working at Walmart presents a unique safety risk. 

'Walmart's commitment to health, safety, and security is supported by strong policies, training, and proactive management.'

Kaur's death last week is currently being investigated and it is unclear how she became trapped in the oven.

According to the community appeal, Kaur's 'charred remains were found inside the walk-in oven in the Bakery after a few hours by her mother, who also worked at the store.

Janikka Perry, 38, also lost her life inside the giant store.

On January 16, 2022, Perry was working her bakery shift at Arkansas' North Little Rock location when she felt faint.

She raised the problems to her manager who allegedly 'pull herself together' due to the store being short staffed.

Perry had heart problems and diabetes, which she made aware to management when hired, but continued working to avoid being penalized. 

The pain continued for hours, forcing her to seek comfort in a bathroom stall toward the end of her shift.

She sat in the white-tiled restroom for approximately 87 minutes, trying to catch her breath, but then called 911 at 11:21pm,' New Republic reported.

'I'm having difficulty breathing,' she told a dispatcher between coughs. 'I feel like I'm about to pass out.'

Medics arrived in nine minutes, finding Perry unconscious on the floor, and rushed her to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. 

In 2016, Ken Steele was run over by a semi-truck delivering goods to a superstore in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Steele, 79, was a longtime employee at Walmart and retired, but picked up a part-time job. 

A police report showed that Steele was standing behind the World Way Freight Transport rig, helping the driver back up closer to the offloading area, when he was run over by the truck’s trailer.

Walmart has long been the go-to place for Black Friday deals, attended by crowds looking for the best and cheapest items.

But the night of thrills at a Walmart in Valley Stream, New York turned deadly for one employee in 2008 when he was trampled to death.

Jdimytai Damour, 34, found himself in the middle of a mob and was through onto his back as customers ran over him like a stampede.

Detective Lt. Michael Fleming, who was in charge of the investigation for the Nassau police, said the store lacked adequate security, which would have prohibited thousands of people from rushing in at once.

Donald Wells was employed at a Kentucky location in 2010 when he suffered injuries from exposure to carbon monoxide while working in a freezer.

On June 7, 2014, Shamsey Duncan, who was pregnant at the time, reported to work at Walmart in Bossier City, Louisiana, where she slipped on a mat in front of a Reddy Ice freezer and fell forward onto the ground. 

Later that afternoon, Duncan felt unwell and went to a hospital. There, hospital staff said her unborn child had no heartbeat, and they induced labor for Duncan's stillborn baby the next day. 

Then on June 10, 2018, an employee at a store in Hodgkins, Illinois, was cutting meat on a Hobart Vertical Band and struck his hand against the blade, amputating two fingers.