Tuberculosis Outbreak at Amazon Coventry Warehouse Prompts Union Demands for Closure

Health Concerns at Major Distribution Centre

A tuberculosis outbreak at Amazon’s Coventry fulfilment centre has sparked urgent calls for the temporary closure of the facility, following the identification of multiple cases among staff. Multiple tuberculosis cases have been reported at the Amazon fulfilment centre in Coventry, according to the GMB union. The warehouse, located at Lyons Park, employs approximately 2,000 workers and serves as a major distribution hub for the e-commerce giant.

Last year, ten people who work at our Coventry fulfilment centre tested positive for non-contagious TB. The cases involve latent tuberculosis, a form of the infection where bacteria are present but individuals are not symptomatic or infectious. However, without treatment, latent TB can develop into active, contagious disease.

Union Response and Safety Demands

The union claims NHS staff attended this week to perform blood tests on members of staff and is calling on Amazon to close the site. Amanda Gearing, GMB Senior Organiser, has demanded immediate action, warning that Coventry Amazon risks becoming the engine room of a mass TB outbreak of a scale not seen for decades. The union is calling for all workers to be medically suspended on full pay until appropriate infection control measures are implemented.

Your Party MP for Coventry South, Zarah Sultana, said Amazon not closing the site is “outrageous”, adding the company owned by Jeff Bezos is treating “its employees as if they’re disposable”. The political intervention highlights growing concerns about workplace safety at the facility.

Official Response and Risk Assessment

Amazon has insisted it is following expert guidance and maintaining safety protocols. In line with best practice safety procedures, we immediately followed guidance from the NHS and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and made all potentially affected employees aware of the situation. Out of an abundance of caution, we are currently running an expanded screening programme with the NHS. The company states that no additional cases have been identified, and our site continues to run as normal.

Health authorities have sought to reassure the public about the level of risk. The small number of individuals affected by tuberculosis (TB) are responding well to treatment and are no longer infectious, so pose no onward risk. The overall risk remains low. Dr Roger Gajraj, Consultant in Health Protection with UKHSA West Midlands, confirmed that affected individuals are receiving treatment and testing is being offered to close contacts as a precautionary measure.

Implications for Workers and Community

The outbreak raises important questions about workplace health monitoring and infection control in large distribution centres. In 2024, the number of people notified to have the disease rose by 13.6% to 5,490 people. The rate of notifications at 9.4 per 100,000 population, is now only just below the World Health Organization threshold of 10 per 100,000 for a low incidence country and continuing to rise. This broader context suggests tuberculosis remains a public health concern in the UK, making workplace outbreaks particularly significant.

The situation at the Coventry warehouse continues to develop, with authorities monitoring the effectiveness of screening programmes and treatment protocols. For workers and the local community, the incident serves as a reminder of the importance of early detection and proper treatment of infectious diseases in workplace settings.