Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) led a group of more than 70 lawmakers. In a joint letter As the heatwaves continue, he called on U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to protect U.S. Postal Service workers.
The letter, released Wednesday, called for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to finalize proposed rules to protect people who work indoors and outdoors as summer temperatures rise.
“U.S. Postal Service (Postal Service) workers are at imminent risk of heatstroke and death. To ensure they have adequate protection while performing their jobs, we urge you to immediately implement the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) proposed rule on heatstroke and illness prevention in outdoor and indoor work environments,” the letter read.
“Although this rule is not yet final, OSHA has already accepted extensive public comment since issuing an advance notice of proposed rulemaking in October 2021,” it added. “OSHA has conducted substantial economic and logistical analysis to ensure that all industries under OSHA’s jurisdiction will be able to comply with this rule without significant disruption to their operations.”
The letter urged immediate action and laid out a plan to benefit USPS employees during extreme temperatures.
The plan called for implementation of OSHA’s proposed rules, required the Postal Service to address heat illness prevention training plans, increased access to cool drinking water for workers when temperatures exceed 90 degrees and required regular breaks.
“It is clear that the Postal Service must do more to protect the health and safety of its employees,” the letter said.
The Hill has reached out to DeJoy’s office for comment.
