A 19-year-old Walmart employee who was “cooked to death” inside a large oven has raised questions about the company's safety practices.
Gursimran Kaur's charred remains were discovered last Saturday inside an industrial oven at a store in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
But the multibillion-dollar retail giant has a long list of deadly incidents at its locations across the United States, including a grandmother who was crushed to death by a forklift at a Walmart warehouse in Texas in February.
Other gruesome injuries involve a worker who suffered carbon monoxide poisoning from a faulty freezer, an employee who lost her baby after slipping near an ice machine, and a man whose fingers were severed by a meat slicer.
Walmart has the second-highest rate of workplace injuries in the United States, with three serious incidents per 100 full-time workers, according to Strategic Organizing Middle, a coalition of some of the country's largest unions.
But it also employs more people than any company in the United States, with more than 1.6 million employees in stores and distribution centers.
A spokesperson for the company told DailyMail.com that its “security record is consistent with or better than its US retail peers.”
David Bradshaw, 30, collapsed while working a shift in March. His colleagues claimed that he did not receive medical attention for an hour. Bradshaw was pronounced dead at the hospital
In 2016, Ken Steele was hit by a truck delivering products to a hypermarket in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The 79-year-old worked part-time while retired.
However, some injured employees have said Walmart has failed to take immediate medical action in the past.
David Bradshaw, 30, died in March after collapsing in a break room and was allegedly denied medical attention for an hour.
He collapsed during a shift at a distribution center in Shelby, North Carolina.
Bradshaw “fell face down on the floor and appeared to have a seizure” near the break room.
His mother, Linda, told WBTV: “There was a period where he was laying there when he collapsed and they didn't call, nobody called 911.”
Employees claimed there was an AED on site, but it was locked and only used by someone who had received training.
Meanwhile, Elena Rios, 68, was working a shift at a warehouse in Fort Value, Texas, in February when she was crushed between a forklift and a pallet rack.
Rios, a mother of four and grandmother of 13, had worked at Walmart for 10 years and was certified to operate forklifts and other heavy machinery.
She was operating the forklift at the time of the accident.
Surprisingly, the family first learned of the deadly accident on the news and received conflicting information about what happened.
Walmart has the second-highest injury rate of any company in the U.S. at 571. It ranks second only to USPS, which has had 1,142 employee injuries since 2015.
The family still does not know exactly what caused his death.
Walmart closed the facility the day after Elena's death and offered counseling “and other resources to our associates as they navigate this tragic event,” according to the statement.
However, the family is unhappy with what they said was a total lack of communication and transparency.
Data from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) showed 571 incidents recorded between January 2015 and May 2022.
Only surpassed by the United States Postal Service (USPS), with 1,142 injuries.
“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 does not support the view that working at Walmart presents a unique security risk.
“Walmart’s commitment to health and safety is supported by strong policies, training and proactive management.”
Kaur's death last week is currently under investigation and it is unclear how she became trapped in the oven.
According to the community appeal, Kaur's charred remains were found inside the bakery's oven 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 baking shift at the North Little Rock location in Arkansas when she felt faint.
She raised the issues with her manager, who supposedly “bounced back” because the store was short-staffed.
Perry had heart problems and diabetes, which she informed management about when she was hired, but continued working to avoid being penalized.
The pain continued for hours, forcing her to seek solace in a bathroom toward the end of her shift.
She sat in the white-tiled bathroom for about 87 minutes, trying to catch her breath, but then called 911 at 11:21 p.m. New Republic reported.
“I'm having trouble breathing,” he told an operator between coughs. “I feel like I'm about to faint.”
Medics arrived nine minutes later, found Perry unconscious on the floor and rushed her to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Gursimran Kaur was found dead in a Walmart oven on Saturday. His charred remains were discovered on the floor of the appliance.
Elena Ríos, a 13-year-old grandmother, died in February when she was trapped between a forklift and a pellet rack.
In 2016, Ken Steele was hit by a truck delivering products to a hypermarket in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Steele, 79, worked for a long time at Walmart and retired, but got a part-time job.
A police report showed Steele was standing behind the World Method Freight Transport platform, helping the driver back closer to the unloading area, when he was struck 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 excitement at a Walmart in Valley Stream, New York, turned deadly for an employee in 2008 when he was trampled to death.
Jdimytai Damour, 34, found himself in the middle of a crowd and was left on his back as customers stampeded over him.
Detective Lt. Michael Fleming, who was leading the investigation for Nassau police, said the store lacked adequate security, which would have prevented thousands of people from rushing in at merienda.
Janikka Perry, 38, also lost her life inside the giant store in 2022. She had heart pains and allegedly told her manager, who told her to “get well.” He died in the bathroom of a Walmart
Jdimytai Damour, 34, died while working on Black Friday 2008. He was trampled by customers.
Donald Wells was working at a Kentucky location in 2010 when he suffered injuries from carbon monoxide exposure while working in a freezer.
On June 7, 2014, Shamsey Duncan, who was pregnant at the time, reported to work at Walmart in Bossier Metropolis, Louisiana, where she slipped on a rug in front of a Reddy Ice freezer and fell to the floor.
That same afternoon, Duncan felt unwell and went to the hospital. There, hospital staff said Duncan's fetus had no heartbeat and the next day they induced delivery of Duncan's stillborn baby.
Then, on June 10, 2018, a store employee in Hodgkins, Illinois, was cutting meat with a Hobart derecho belt and slammed his hand against the blade, amputating two fingers.
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