Warmth-Linked Loss of life of Postal Employee Leads to Controversial High-quality

By Ariel Wittenberg & E&E Information

CLIMATEWIRE | Federal regulators are fining the U.S. Postal Assistance about its failure to safeguard staff from warmth right after a letter carrier died of heat stroke in Dallas this past June.

Eugene Gates collapsed when providing mail on June 20, a working day when the National Temperature Service experienced issued an extreme warmth warning. His death garnered nationwide focus more than USPS insurance policies that can exacerbate heat ailment in its employees.

A new E&E News investigation revealed that Gates was just one of probably thousands of postal company employees who did not receive appropriate warmth safety training in accordance with the Postal Service’s very own policies. Supervisors across the agency “falsified” official records to cover the lack of schooling, according to the letter carriers’ union.

The Occupational Safety and Wellness Administration now states the Postal Services failed to secure its personnel on June 20 from “the regarded hazard of significant out of doors warmth which include substantial temperature, large humidity and immediate sunshine exposure.” The warmth index in Dallas that working day ranged from 96 to 113 levels Fahrenheit.

“Such exposures are very likely to lead to the development of serious warmth-similar health problems these types of as, but not confined to, warmth cramps, heat strain, heat exhaustion, heat stroke and death,” OSHA reported in the quotation.

OSHA is proposing a $15,625 high-quality and providing the Postal Services until eventually Jan. 18 to “abate” the warmth hazard by way of several signifies. Critically, that involves by way of guaranteeing “that just about every staff is trained” in accordance with the Postal Service’s Heat Ailment Avoidance Program, as perfectly as permitting staff to take rest breaks and consume drinking water when temperatures increase and starting up mail deliveries before on very hot times.

USPS declined to comment, indicating only it is “reviewing the citation.” The company has a history of combating warmth-relevant OSHA citations.

Kimetra Lewis, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers’ Dallas branch, claimed when she saw the greenback quantity of the citation, she in the beginning thought it was “a slap in the face.”

“I was like, ‘Oh my God, is that all they believed [Gates’] existence was really worth?’” she reported.

But just after looking through the full textual content of the quotation — and its necessity that USPS just take specific steps to hold letter carriers protected in the heat — Lewis reported she turned “grateful since it is exhibiting that the Postal Provider experienced a part and obligation in his demise.”

The quotation comes as the Postal Service is progressively underneath hearth for its failure to secure employees from warmth. Democrats on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee have been bullish on the issue, crafting several letters to Postmaster Louis DeJoy about agency guidelines that they say could be placing letter carriers at danger. Most just lately, lawmakers have referred to as for a hearing with USPS witnesses about the issue.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), who has been foremost that charge, stated the OSHA quotation was “heartening to see” due to the fact it constitutes “a recognition of the failure by USPS to protect personnel basic safety.”

But, she added, “more will have to be done to shield these in community services and avert severe accidents or decline of lifestyle.”

Reprinted from E&E News with authorization from POLITICO, LLC. Copyright 2023. E&E Information delivers crucial news for energy and natural environment industry experts.