On a hot day in the Los Angeles area, a driver for the United Parcel Service died. The cause of Chavez's death is still being investigated, but his family thinks he died of heatstroke. The young man's father said that the trucks were a hot box.
The investigators are looking into Chavez's death. The driver died from a heat-related illness, which federal authorities later determined was a heat-related illness. With record temperatures in many parts of the US this summer, more reports ofUPS drivers hospitalized and collapsing on the clock continue to roll in, with some drivers sharing photos of the temperatures they experience inside their delivery trucks.
The death of Chavez has led to the creation of a campaign for better heat safety protections for the 350,000 workers who work for the delivery company. The union has a contract with the company.
Climate change will affect workers' health and safety in the future. The goal is to bring about industry-wide protections for delivery workers, including Amazon contract drivers who aren't represented by unions.
The standard in most of the industry is set by the organization that represents the drivers. He was a driver for 20 years for the company before he was hired by the Teamsters.
The union wants to set a high bar for heat safety and other companies will have to match it if they want to remain competitive.
As part of the campaign, Rosario has been asking the drivers of the United Parcel Service to take pictures of the temperature in their trucks and submit them to him. The photos were given to us by Rosario.
A driver in Georgia submitted a picture of cookies baking on hot metal sheets in his truck.
"Have you ever seen a turkey in the back of the oven?" Oscar asked when he was asked what it felt like to be inside a truck.
He says that the back of the vehicle is completely sealed and leads to hotter temperatures. Problems can be posed by the front cabs.
The front of the store has no air flow.
The windows are open but we are sitting on plastic seats with the engine running. He says the greenhouse effect is created by the truck's large windshields.
The trucks don't have air-conditioning. Fans are provided to drivers on request. One such request was shared by another driver at his Brooklyn center. The technician in charge said that the fan couldn't be installed because it was a corporate decision.
In addition to dealing with potentially high temperatures in the trucks and outdoors, the drivers exert themselves by getting in and out of the vehicles to make deliveries. In cases where workers perform moderate or higher physical activity, wear heavy or bulky clothing, or equipment, heat-related illnesses can happen at almost any ambient temperature.
Putting fans in every truck, offering more breathable uniforms, and creating more full-time positions to give all employees more rest breaks on hot days are some of the things that the Teamsters have called on the company to do.
According to Matthew O'Connor, a spokesman for the company, drivers' health and safety is the company's highest priority. O'Connor said that one of the programs focused on educating employees about hydration along with nutrition and proper sleep before working in hotter temperatures was one of the programs of the United Parcel Service.
O'Connor said that the roof of the trucks has been designed to reduce heat. He said that the company provides water and ice for employees as well as cooling towels and uniforms.
O'Connor said that they don't want their employees to risk their health or work in an unsafe way.
The risks associated with high temperatures could be mitigated by the help of the United Parcel Service. He points out that the company decided to install security cameras in some delivery trucks despite workers saying their health is being threatened by inadequate accommodations.
"Here you are putting cameras in our vehicles instead of giving them proper ventilation, instead of spending that money to give us airconditioning, instead of spending that money for our well-being as drivers who are out here on the road every day," says Rosario.
He says it's profit over people.
Employers are not the only ones who need to provide better heat protections for their workers. Dollar General, Hooters, and Jack in the Box are some of the companies that have had their workers walk out this summer.
OSHA has a plan to protect workers from heat Hazards. Worker advocates say that the creation of federal rules on heat safety is being slowed down because of bureaucracy.
It's difficult to track the number of worker deaths tied to extreme temperatures. The heatstroke that led to the illness or injury may not be listed in official reports. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, at least 343 workers have died from heat-related causes in the last six years. According to a report from Public Citizen, the number of workers harmed by extreme temperatures is higher. According to Public Citizen, the US has between 600 to 2,000 worker heat-related deaths each year and 170,000 annual injuries.
Dehydration and cooling systems are important to heat safety in the workplace. The recommendation is to adjust productivity expectations on hot days for the sake of workers.
According to the report, employers should allow workers to choose the pace of their work so that they don't overexert themselves, and encourage them to take breaks so they can rest. The premise of the requests is similar.
Rosario thinks that productivity concerns are part of the reason thatUPS hasn't installed better air quality systems in delivery trucks.
Drivers will slow down if air conditioners and fans are put in the trucks. Because we have to.
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