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When Peggy Frank returned to her mail route on July 6, 2018, Los Angeles was in the middle of a scorching heat wave. The 63-year-old letter carrier had broken her ankle that March, and she spent the spring at home in a walking boot. She was only two years away from retirement.
Southern California was under an extreme heat advisory. On July 5, the highs surpassed 100 degrees.
Frank’s sister, Lynn Calkins, had warned her to be safe as she prepared for her first day back. “I said, ‘You’re not used to it. Just be careful,’” Calkins recalled.
Frank’s sister, Lynn Calkins, had warned her to be safe as she prepared for her first day back. “I said, ‘You’re not used to it. Just be careful,’” Calkins recalled.
It was almost 100 degrees in downtown Los Angeles by late morning. By the afternoon, the weather stations in Burbank and Van Nuys, in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley, hit 114 and 117, respectively ― the hottest temperatures ever recorded there.
Frank struggled to keep pace.
Frank struggled to keep pace.
Frank called her supervisor to say she was falling behind ― standard practice for a lagging letter carrier.
Another carrier was sent to meet Frank and help out.
When her colleague reached her, Frank was unconscious in the driver’s seat. Paramedics recorded her death at 3:35 p.m.
Another carrier was sent to meet Frank and help out.
When her colleague reached her, Frank was unconscious in the driver’s seat. Paramedics recorded her death at 3:35 p.m.
Last year, an analysis by @publicintegrity found that the Postal Service had exposed about 900 workers to heat hazards since 2012, leading to muscle cramps, vomiting and loss of consciousness.
The challenges will only grow as global warming breaks more heat records.
The challenges will only grow as global warming breaks more heat records.
Anyone who does a physical job exposed to the elements will face greater hazards as the climate changes and the number of extremely hot summer days increases nationwide.
And many workers are doing strenuous jobs without the union protections that postal employees have.
And many workers are doing strenuous jobs without the union protections that postal employees have.
When Grumman built most of the current fleet of USPS vehicles, about 30 years ago, their life expectancy was 24 years. Most don’t have air conditioning.
“It’s a little Easy-Bake Oven on wheels,” said Richard Salinas, who delivered mail in Texas for 35 years before retiring.
“It’s a little Easy-Bake Oven on wheels,” said Richard Salinas, who delivered mail in Texas for 35 years before retiring.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued more than $1.3 million in initial fines against the Postal Service for heat hazards in eight years. In many cases, the USPS managed to negotiate those fines down by agreeing to address the hazards.
But the accumulation of big-ticket citations for repeat violations shows the USPS hasn’t fixed its problem.
Calkins believes the USPS should not have sent Frank outside on the day she died. “They paid the OSHA fines and, bam, it went back to the way it was.”
Calkins believes the USPS should not have sent Frank outside on the day she died. “They paid the OSHA fines and, bam, it went back to the way it was.”
