City of Baltimore, DPW cited for "serious" violation after heat death of worker
The Baltimore City Department of Public Works, Bureau of Solid Waste was cited for a "serious" violation for failing to protect its employees from dangerous heat, according to the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health Agency (MOSH).
MOSH began its investigation into DPW following the death of Ronald Silver II. Silver died of heatstroke on August 2, 2024, while working in temperatures approaching 100 degrees.
According to MOSH's citation, DPW did not "furnish a place of employment free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees, in that employees were exposed to excessive heat."
On Aug. 2, the date of the violation, the department said employees were working in direct sunlight when the calculated heat index reached approximately 108.6° Fahrenheit. Those conditions can cause muscle cramps, rashes, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and death, MOSH said in its report.
While the citation does not come with a financial penalty, it requires Baltimore City officials to correct the problem and show remediation of the dangerous conditions by March 17.
The violation is classified as "serious," which indicates that the violation involves a condition where there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from the hazard, per the citation.
Death of Ronald Silver II
The death of Ronald Silver II sparked outrage from Baltimore City leaders, who said DPW had a "toxic" work culture. Silver's family told WJZ that DPW had been warned about employee safety during extreme heat.
Thiru Vinerjah, the attorney for Silver's family, called for accountability in a press conference after Silver's death.
Those calls for accountability culminated in a report by the Office of the Inspector General, which said that an investigation revealed a negative work culture and concerns for worker safety and morale that have persisted for the "last decade" at DPW.
Mayor Scott responds to DPW concerns
Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott addressed the OIG's report last week, saying that the problems at DPW pre-dated his administration.
"We're talking about historic levels of disinvestment and not having the protocols and practices in place, and that's why we have the leadership -- and that's why we have been proactively starting to work on these things," Scott said. "I'm not going to be happy until the work is complete, but I also know this is not overnight work."
According to the Baltimore Banner, Scott said last week that the city has "a long, long, long way to go" to improve conditions at DPW.
He also said work to address the problems at DPW has already begun with the creation of a new deputy mayor role, which will oversee key city agencies, including DPW.
