The warehouse was closed Thursday as police and Alberta Occupational Health and Safety investigated the incident. (Mike Spenrath/CBC)

Firefighters and employees worked through the night to remove the pallets safely and to reach the buried man but he was already dead by the time they reached him, said department spokesman Jeff Budai.

The man's body was extricated at about 6:30 a.m. Thursday.

"The system they have here, in fact pretty much the whole structure, contains rows and rows of racking that contains anywhere from five to six pallets stacked vertically, and they all vary in weight but most of them are of an industrial-type of material," explained Budai.

"So with the approximately … 30 feet high and the amount of weight we're dealing with, obviously it was a huge impact."

Workers at the warehouse, called Direct Distribution Centres, are being told to stay home, as police and Alberta Occupational Health and Safety investigate the incident.

Angelica Ainsworth, a supervisor at the company, said staff were close-knit and are mourning their colleague.

The victim's name is not being released pending notification of his family.