New report illuminates the heat-related death of Baltimore City DPW worker Ronald Silver II

A lack of air conditioning, a few moments for resting and a heat index of almost 109 degrees were one of the findings of a new report by the Maryland Department of Labor details before a sanitary employee in Baltimore died last summer.

Ronald Silver II. He died of hyperthermia on his garbage route on August 2, 2024.

The agency of the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (Mosh) has published the latest report. It confirms some of the results of the Report of the general city inspector of the general That was released in March.

Report the conditions on the day of Silvers death

On the day the silver died, the temperatures reported 100 degrees and the heat index was about 108.6 degrees.

In the Mosh report, Dante Austin, a supervisor who was responsible for the review of Silvers Crew, said in an interview that it was a standard exercise to hold the windows while driving the garbage truck even though the taxi became hotter.

It can even become more unbearable if three workers drive together.

“While he confirmed that hygiene is equipped with air conditioning, he pointed out that the drivers have to stop the windows at the route collection before safety reasons, which at increased temperatures in the cabin in particular when three workers share the three-seater single cabin space,” says the report.

The exhaust from the truck also increases the temperature for workers who go on the route and collect garbage, which increases the already unbearable air temperature.

Workers say that the air conditioning does not always work

Travis Christian, another DPW employee who worked together with Silver on the day of his death, said there was no time for breaks, and often they were discouraged due to the workload.

According to DPW Records, Silvers Crew had 1,153 stops, which was above the industry standard of 950.

According to Christian, many air conditioning systems did not work properly in department vehicles and blew hot air, which can feel even warmer when three workers drive between the routes. He noticed that silver drank more water than usual on this day.

According to medical experts, air conditioning is the best prevention for heating stroke on extremely hot days.

“The air conditioning is your preventive measure for the first time,” said Dr. Jonathan Thierman, President of Express Care Drent Care. “So if you go to a taxi in and out of the taxi or if you are windows and the air conditioning is not effective, heat up this box full of two other boys, and then you will be susceptible to heat heating.”

“You can have real difficulties in tight rooms if you are outside of 85 to 95 degrees,” added Dr. Thierman added. “It can be 100 [degrees] In this vehicle. “

The report of the General Inspector Detailed minute-for-minute reports on Silvers last day.

The report showed that DPW had no training protocols for warmth.

“Until Mr. Silver was over, there was no zero, zero heat training for the workers or for the drivers,” General Inspector of Baltimore City, General Isabel Cumming, told WJZ after her report was published.

On Wednesday, Cumming said that there are some inaccuracies in Mosh's report. The report makes 14 heat -related injuries from 2021 to 2024, while the report by Cumming 29 describes.

Work -related violations of Mosh highlighted

Mosh sent WJZ several reduced incident reports from 2021 to 2024 in the facilities of Reedbird and Bowley from DPW.

Further incidents are a worker who has a superficial gunshot wound on the “lower left flank”. According to Mosh documents, the worker was in a alley that collected garbage when someone appeared and started shooting.

Another worker suffered a cut on the face after a garbage fell out of the elevator and met the employee.

Among the other incidents, a worker had a chemical exposure in the eye after a liquid was sprayed back in the face while garbage was thrown into a truck.

Baltimore City DPW reacts to the latest Mosh report

Baltimore City DPW replied to the report on Wednesday and said that some of the objects mentioned by the state had already worked through. It will continue to work to ensure that the department is completely compliant.

The department informed the following explanation:

“DPW has already addressed and followed up some of the objects mentioned by Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (Mosh). However, in order to ensure the complete compliance with compliance and the time for the completion and implementation of the HIPP plan for the contraception of thermal disease via all relevant departments in all relevant departments, DPW formally called for an extension of the Final data.

This expansion enables DPW to ensure consistent implementation of heat safety protocols. The majority of the training, equipment, processes and procedures in connection with the hipp are available. At this point in time, our trade union partners will continue the negotiations in connection with hipp-related negotiations. We continue to work in good faith in order to complete this last remaining article and complete the complete implementation of the hip. “

Maryland's potential law would enable Mosh to implement fines

On March 10, DPW was cited by Mosh with a “serious violation” because he had not protected the employees from dangerous heating conditions.

Cumming called it ridiculous that the state of DPW can raise financial punishment. The quote only requires a change in politics.

Cumming's examination found that DPW had no heat policy during the pre- or summer 2024. Heat disapprices in the department were increased from eight cases in 2021 to 12 in 2024.

A new law sitting on the Governor Wes Moores desk would enable Mosh to punish other government agencies for workers.

The law would enable the Commissioner of Labor and Industry to evaluate a civil law punishment. The funds collected would benefit the Maryland training and training program.

State leaders said Mosh claimed around 200 quotes a year. If the governor were signed, the law would generate 30,000 to 40,000 dollars of sentences per year.

The law is named after David MartinezA Maryland probation helper who was killed in service in service in the service in Montgomery County. It is also committed to other security changes in the workplace in the entire government.

Has DPW made changes since Ronald Silver II's death?

The Baltimore Department of Public Works indicated that it has been carrying out new security measures since Silvers.

These measures include the development of standard operating processes for extreme weather conditions such as extreme cold and heat as well as new procedures for the announcement of accidents.

DPW officials said that they had a “renewed focus on the training of employees” in the areas of security, compliance, risk management and executive development.

The department also announced that it had assigned 20 million US dollars for upgrades for institutions in several locations of the Bureau of Solid Mast, where employees report on work.

Silvers Families fights for answers

Silver's cause of death was ruled as hyperthermia.

Mosh said that heat exposure could not confirm the only cause of death because the family rejected it to carry out an autopsy for religious reasons.

Silvers family is still fighting for answers – including the city's request to publish the details of an examination of an external law firm.

“We only want all the findings, we only want them all. At this point there is no reason to hide,” said Faith Johnson, Silvers mother.