WOODLAND HILLS, Calif — The heat-related death of a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) worker has led to the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) citing of the Woodland Hills, California, post office including more than $140,000 in penalties.
According to OSHA, the Southern California USPS worker died from hyperthermia in July 2018 when working in 117 degree temperatures. The USPS violated OSHA's general duty clause, which outlines procedures for having employees work in extreme high temperatures and also failed to keep proper records regarding employees' "heat stress incidents," the agency said.
"The U.S. Postal Service knows the dangers of working in high-heat conditions and is required to address employee safety in these circumstances," OSHA Oakland area office director Amber Rose said in a statement. "USPS is responsible for establishing work practices to protect mail carriers who work outdoors from the hazards of extreme temperatures."
The USPS has 15 days after receiving OSHA's charges to comply or contest the citations, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.