UPS highlights efforts to protect workers from heat: reports

The United Parcel Service (UPS) has underscored its efforts to protect employees from the heat following backlash from unions.

A spokesperson for UPS told The Guardian that they have "comprehensive training and protocols" in place that they continue to improve to provide a safe working environment for employees.

"We invest more than $409 million annually on safety training in the US and have added more cooling equipment to our vehicles and facilities. We provide employees with specialised cooling gear, access to ice and water, and encourage our people to take extra time to cool down anytime they need," the UPS spokesperson said as quoted by the news outlet.

The spokesperson further told The Guardian that the company also took the following measures to protect employees:

• Provided 96,000 water jugs to drivers
• Installed an additional 1,500 ice machines and 1,700 water fountains in their facilities
• Installed nearly 14,000 additional fans
• Deployed "hundreds" of vehicles on the road with air conditioning
• Installed over 200,000 fans in package vehicles
• Installed 76,000 heat shields
• Equipped over 74,000 vehicles with air scoop induction technology

Union calls for heat protections from UPS

The statement came after UPS Teamsters told the organisation to expedite the fulfilment of its obligations under the union contract it signed last year.

Under the contract, UPS is expected to include air conditioning in vehicles purchased after January 1, 2024, and include cooling devices in 28,000 UPS package delivery services by the end of the contract in 2028.

But UPS Teamsters said the organisation is "dangerously behind schedule."

"From coast to coast, UPS Teamsters are reminding the company of its legal obligations to workers — and its moral responsibility to working families. It's time for UPS to deliver the trucks in Texas and across the nation!" the union said in a statement.

Their call came after a UPS Teamsters regular package car driver from McKinney, Texas, crashed in August after reportedly passing out from the extreme heat.

In the same month, another UPS driver in Bell County, Texas, died, with co-workers alleging that it was heat-related, The Guardian reported.

UPS said the driver's passing in Bell County is still under investigation, pointing out that he was only "two hours into his work week" and that there is no indication that his death was related to heat stress.

"We continue to work with authorities as they investigate the cause of death," UPS told The Guardian.

On the McKinney employee who crashed, UPS said it was aware of the incident and that the driver has already received minor medical treatment.

"We care deeply about his safety and well-being," the organisation said. "We continue to work with authorities to investigate and defer to them for questions."

Occupational injuries due to excessive heat

Occupational injuries due to excessive heat topped 22.8 million in 2020, according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

The Americas reported over 2.8 million cases of occupational injuries that can be attributed to excessive heat in 2020, with 6.7% of them fatal.

ILO Director-General Gilbert Houngbo said the excessive heat is "creating unprecedented challenges" for employees worldwide.

"We need year-round heat action plans and legislation to protect workers, and stronger global collaboration among experts to harmonise heat stress assessments and interventions at work," he said.