Economy Heat takes down more UPS workers during hottest summer ever

cheryl

I started this.
Staff member
Heat takes down more UPS workers during hottest summer ever - NBC News

July was officially the hottest month on record, and in the scorching sun, UPS workers have convulsed, fainted and landed in the emergency room with heat-induced kidney failure, interviews and medical records show.

Sixteen employees of the delivery company told NBC News they have suffered heat illnesses so far this summer, highlighting the continued hazards UPS workers face as workloads ramp up in record temperatures.

Last month, an NBC News investigation revealed that more than 100 UPS employees were hospitalized for serious heat-related injuries between 2015 and 2018, more than any other company in the country except the U.S. Postal Service. UPS, which has almost 400,000 employees, 74,000 of them delivery drivers, does not air condition most of its warehouses or its brown delivery trucks, whose cargo areas can reach 150 degrees, drivers said.
 

BlackCat

Well-Known Member
Steve Gaut, vice president of public relations at UPS, said the amount of freight has increased this summer, but the workload has not. He also said he "cannot corroborate the existence of 'record heat'" this summer, "as this is dependent on the geographic location of the employee and the period in question."

Steve Gaut takes scumbag to a different level.
 

olroadbeech

Happy Verified UPSer
Our hub was pretty proactive with this .Plenty of fans , doors open , free gatorade , and workers were allowed to take a break whenever they needed to.

It wasn't always like this. We had our share of emergencies but the last 5 years we have had a very good Center Manager.
 

tadpole

Well-Known Member
Heat takes down more UPS workers during hottest summer ever - NBC News

July was officially the hottest month on record, and in the scorching sun, UPS workers have convulsed, fainted and landed in the emergency room with heat-induced kidney failure, interviews and medical records show.

Sixteen employees of the delivery company told NBC News they have suffered heat illnesses so far this summer, highlighting the continued hazards UPS workers face as workloads ramp up in record temperatures.

Last month, an NBC News investigation revealed that more than 100 UPS employees were hospitalized for serious heat-related injuries between 2015 and 2018, more than any other company in the country except the U.S. Postal Service. UPS, which has almost 400,000 employees, 74,000 of them delivery drivers, does not air condition most of its warehouses or its brown delivery trucks, whose cargo areas can reach 150 degrees, drivers said.
What is “Economy Heat”?
 

El Correcto

god is dead
When it’s a 100+ degrees outside feel free to take a couple paid breaks standing in the ac for 10 or so minutes just drinking water. You can’t fault the company because people don’t do this. I’ve never once been told anything about it and I file 9.5’s on them so they tend to be questioning of me and my times.
 

Packmule

Well-Known Member
Born in AZ, but have lived far north of there my whole adult life. Go back occasionally to see family, always in the summer it seems, and can’t imagine surviving UPS down there! Retired now but back in the day I’d take our winters over that heat, especially in a brown truck! I could always put on more layers to deal with the cold but there’s only so much you can take off without getting into trouble!
 

BlackCat

Well-Known Member
Born in AZ, but have lived far north of there my whole adult life. Go back occasionally to see family, always in the summer it seems, and can’t imagine surviving UPS down there! Retired now but back in the day I’d take our winters over that heat, especially in a brown truck! I could always put on more layers to deal with the cold but there’s only so much you can take off without getting into trouble!
Yeah, it is not fun.
 
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