The heat-related death of a letter carrier has resulted in the U.S. Postal Service being cited by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for a serious safety violation.
James Baldassarre collapsed on July 5 after walking his route for about five hours, carrying a mail bag weighing up to 35 pounds, in 94-degree heat with a heat index in excess of 100 degrees. The area was under a heat advisory from the National Weather Service. Baldassarre died the next day as a result of heat stroke. The letter carrier worked at a post office in Medford, Massachusetts.
Failures by Postal Service cited by OSHA
“Heat stress illnesses and fatalities can be prevented with knowledge. Knowing how to recognize and respond to symptoms can save a life,” Jeffrey Erskine, OSHA’s area director for Middlesex and Essex counties in Massachusetts, was quoted as saying in an OSHA press release. “In this case, the Postal Service had such information, but failed to communicate it to letter carriers, so they could protect themselves. Had this been done, this tragedy could have been prevented.”
The Postal Service exposed workers to excessive heat by failing to implement an adequate heat stress management program that would have addressed potential heat stress and informed mail carriers of how to identify, prevent and report symptoms of heat-related illnesses, according to OSHA’s investigation.
Death of letter carrier results in fine of only $7,000
The citation carries a proposed fine of $7,000, the maximum fine that can be assessed for a serious violation. A serious violation occurs when an investigation finds there was substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to enforce that law by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance to employers. As you can see by the amount of this fine, the highest for this kind of violation, OSHA can only do so much.
Contact Uliase & Uliase
We represent Postal Service employees injured on the job and the families of postal employees killed on the job. At Uliase & Uliase, we have decades of experience representing federal workers in work-related injury claims. To schedule an appointment, contact our office online or call us at (856) 310-9002. We will meet with you weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. We offer a free consultation for injured workers.
