Possible driver death due to heat

[Lead Belly]

That's fine. But I am sick and tired of the phony safety crap. I truly am.
.
Maybe if she got out of the building 20 minutes early and had 5 less stops. She might be alive.

But what do I know? Only worked here my entire adult life.

Ups safety = hypocrisy. Ups = game.

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

Ups safety = hypocrisy. Ups = game.

Big joke.

 

[Harry Manback]

So after reading or browsing thru 15 pages of posts the conclusion its UPS's fault.

1) Its Orion's fault
2) Its the trucks fault because its hot in the back
3) Its UPS fault cause its UPS fault
4) Its management's fault cause they sit in the office while its hot out...
5) Its UPS fault because they won't let us drink in the cab while driving
6) Its UPS fault because its hot out and they make us work outside..all day!

Not one of you has posted anything that is fact and I could care less if you post the "facts" , I know that I feel compassion for the family that lost a wife, mother, daughter, and aunt. I would not one of you or yours to lose your life while at work regardless if I am union or union free, I would hope you feel the same.

Bold position. Stops per car is a fact. Do you disagree? They "could" put on more drivers/routes. That's a fact. They won't though, at least not until late July. (That's an opinion I've based upon conversations I've been privy to)

"They" could do more but, they won't. That's a fact.

I will counter your point on your "feelings" with this. IE who develops the plan and the managers charged with executing that plan could care less about: your feelings, my feelings, or any other employee-at-large's feelings. This is a business and feelings don't make money. That's a fact.

Do you disagree?

 

[newfie]

Bold position. Stops per car is a fact. Do you disagree? They "could" put on more drivers/routes. That's a fact. They won't though, at least not until late July. (That's an opinion I've based upon conversations I've been privy to)

"They" could do more but, they won't. That's a fact.

I will counter your point on your "feelings" with this. IE who develops the plan and the managers charged with executing that plan could care less about: your feelings, my feelings, or any other employee-at-large's feelings. This is a business and feelings don't make money. That's a fact.

Do you disagree?

Not at all, do you believe your point caused that poor women's death. Just curious . thanks

 

[newfie]

I work in this local (not in the same building) and area management has been instructed to deny it was heat related; they're claiming it was a cardiac stroke rather than heat stroke. The driver was a female in her 40's/50's. There's been nothing reported in the local news media as of Friday.

I heard about it from a driver before I went into work today -- it has been absolutely miserable in the south (record breaking heat) and we had 4+ people pass out in the hub last night. There's not many details yet, but hopefully they'll surface when/if any local papers start looking into it.

cardiac stroke? not sure what that is ? aneurysm ? Heart attack? The dialogue on heat stroke here is informative but It seems like it may have been a bit premature?
In any case I saw the pictures and I am saddened to think that poor woman wont be returning to her family. RIP

 

[newfie]

sorry harry didn't do a good job of reading before asking that question...

 

[Harry Manback]

Not at all, do you believe your point caused that poor women's death. Just curious . thanks

Sir, I offered facts and one opinion.

I got a 12 hour dispatch last Friday. Just so happens that, the high temp for the day was 103 degrees. It was my birthday. It was also my first day back to work after my father's death, the week prior.

They could've done more. They didn't. That's a fact.

I'm not saying this lady's employer caused her death. I AM saying, more could've been done to prevent it.

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

Sir, I offered facts and one opinion.

I got a 12 hour dispatch last Friday. Just so happens that, the high temp for the day was 103 degrees. It was my birthday. It was also my first day back to work after my father's death, the week prior.

They could've done more. They didn't. That's a fact.

I'm not saying this lady's employer caused her death. I AM saying, more could've been done to prevent it.

I think what you are trying to say is that UPS could easily do their part by lightening the loads/demands and that they are not. It should be a no brainer but they typically don't do that. They know that it will be super hot about the same time every year so it's not like they don't see it coming. But they want to put the entire burden on the driver by reminding us to drink plenty of fluids and to not eat heavy meals via morning PCMs and messages from an OMS. Sometimes I honestly believe that they view us as indestructible drones.

 

[onehandsolo]

Last week I drank 80 bottles of water and 11 20 oz gatorades. It was 100 degrees every day.

 

[newfie]

Sir, I offered facts and one opinion.

I got a 12 hour dispatch last Friday. Just so happens that, the high temp for the day was 103 degrees. It was my birthday. It was also my first day back to work after my father's death, the week prior.

They could've done more. They didn't. That's a fact.

I'm not saying this lady's employer caused her death. I AM saying, more could've been done to prevent it.

Sounds like you've had a rough couple of weeks, sorry to hear about your father.

 

[By The Book]

I wanted to add my thoughts on this tragedy. First, I am saddened by this and my prayers go out to her family and those who knew this lady, I'm sure she will be missed by all who knew her. My takeaway from the previous posts is we can't blame someone for this. We need to do our best to protect ourselves from the potential health risks of this job. If we need to work at a more reasonable pace, so be it. If we need to find an air conditioned place to cool down, so be it. If we need to find a place with heat to warm up, so be it. What I'm noticing is that many drivers are thinking that they can be off the clock at the same time whether it's 80 degrees or 110., with a 11 hour dispatch. Do I think UPS could do more to ensure our safety, absolutely! Do I think the drivers need to do all they can to prevent a serious health issue at work, or anywhere for that matter, absolutely! I think UPS should ensure the breaks and lunches are taken to ensure driver safety during these days with extreme conditions. This should be a wake up call for all UPSers to look out for their personal safety. The dispatches should be lowered so no driver works over 9.5 hours a day. This job is too taxing on the system and the effects are cumulative. We as drivers have asked for the dispatches to come down, and I hope UPS will do the right thing and put safety first so all employees will make their last stop at home with their families.

 

[TooTechie]

So after reading or browsing thru 15 pages of posts the conclusion its UPS's fault.

1) Its Orion's fault
2) Its the trucks fault because its hot in the back
3) Its UPS fault cause its UPS fault
4) Its management's fault cause they sit in the office while its hot out...
5) Its UPS fault because they won't let us drink in the cab while driving
6) Its UPS fault because its hot out and they make us work outside..all day!

Not one of you has posted anything that is fact and I could care less if you post the "facts" , I know that I feel compassion for the family that lost a wife, mother, daughter, and aunt. I would not one of you or yours to lose your life while at work regardless if I am union or union free, I would hope you feel the same.

The bottom line is that the cargo area of a package car gets too hot to safely perform our assigned tasks and is a huge health risk.

We're not asking for a reefer unit back there, but the company could simply cut a couple holes in the sides of the truck and install a fan on each side to get the temperature down closer to the outside temperature (which is still hot) to make it safe for us but the company is all about corporate greed.

 

[ManInBrown]

I almost like the fact that they look at us as indestructible machines and couldn't care less about our feelings or our well being. Because I reciprocate the same feelings in return. In a crazy way I really do like things like that. I'm not your friend. I don't want to talk to you in the morning. Don't pretend we are friends. If I see you on the side of the road broken down on my way home, I'm driving right past you. I like the cold nature of the management-driver dynamic. Call me crazy. JMO. I feel terrible about this driver losing her life. RIP

 

[Harry Manback]

I wanted to add my thoughts on this tragedy. First, I am saddened by this and my prayers go out to her family and those who knew this lady, I'm sure she will be missed by all who knew her. My takeaway from the previous posts is we can't blame someone for this. We need to do our best to protect ourselves from the potential health risks of this job. If we need to work at a more reasonable pace, so be it. If we need to find an air conditioned place to cool down, so be it. If we need to find a place with heat to warm up, so be it. What I'm noticing is that many drivers are thinking that they can be off the clock at the same time whether it's 80 degrees or 110., with a 11 hour dispatch. Do I think UPS could do more to ensure our safety, absolutely! Do I think the drivers need to do all they can to prevent a serious health issue at work, or anywhere for that matter, absolutely! I think UPS should ensure the breaks and lunches are taken to ensure driver safety during these days with extreme conditions. This should be a wake up call for all UPSers to look out for their personal safety. The dispatches should be lowered so no driver works over 9.5 hours a day. This job is too taxing on the system and the effects are cumulative. We as drivers have asked for the dispatches to come down, and I hope UPS will do the right thing and put safety first so all employees will make their last stop at home with their families.

Holy text wall, Batman...

Remember when you told us how you skip your lunch/break a couple weeks ago?

Forgive me for, not buying the BS you're selling, "brother".

 

[olroadbeech]

it always comes down to this. someone gets hurt., someone gets maimed, someone dies before something gets changed.

 

[By The Book]

Holy text wall, Batman...

Remember when you told us how you skip your lunch/break a couple weeks ago?

Forgive me for, not buying the BS you're selling, "brother".

View attachment 44381

Never skip the lunch, and always take all the personal time before I punch out. This was a wake up call for me too as I have been taking my breaks on road due to the heat and it is also the right thing to do. Later, and very sorry for your loss. I lost my dad many years ago as well.

 

[Dracula]

So after reading or browsing thru 15 pages of posts the conclusion its UPS's fault.

1) Its Orion's fault
2) Its the trucks fault because its hot in the back
3) Its UPS fault cause its UPS fault
4) Its management's fault cause they sit in the office while its hot out...
5) Its UPS fault because they won't let us drink in the cab while driving
6) Its UPS fault because its hot out and they make us work outside..all day!

Not one of you has posted anything that is fact and I could care less if you post the "facts" , I know that I feel compassion for the family that lost a wife, mother, daughter, and aunt. I would not one of you or yours to lose your life while at work regardless if I am union or union free, I would hope you feel the same.

Far be it for me to agree with a yuk like this clown, but the facts are in, and they are clear: UPS has a job to do. That's all they care about. Now they may throw some interference up, at times, to make it seem like they care; stuff like, make sure you hydrate, eat right and blah blah blah. But we've all worked here long enough. We know the score.

It sucks that a veteran driver passed away at work. It was unnecessary. But the fact remains: there are many, many dragons out there. They care about some things. But you are NOT one of those things.

Does it suck to be a package car driver in brutal heat? Absolutely. Can it be done safely? Yes, it can. But you are on the wrong track if you are thinking the dragons have any sympathy about the heat in the back of a package car. Drivers have btched for decades about getting vent fans put in the tops of the trucks. It's never going to happen. Worrying about it only affects you, the driver.

Every driver needs to take care of themselves. However you need to keep cool, you need to do it. My thing always was dumping a thermos of ice water over my head. Then, going back to QT, to refill my water jug. THAT, I could control.

My numbers, in the dog days of summer, were awful, I'm sure...I never checked or gave a spit. But I know I always clocked out during the dark in the heatwaves. And it got dark late in the summer. I usually got inquiries from the dragon's minions. But I never cared. I let the dragons sweat in their air-conditioned offices about my poor numbers.

All I cared about was keeping cool, as best I could. Only I could do that. And I did it often. A big glass of ice water over your head and down the neck is a magical thing in brutal heat. Do it early and often. It works.

A lot of drivers, for whatever reason, worry about their numbers.

Why? Who knows? Over 30 years in, I still scratch my head at that one. That's a question only a dragon should know the answer to. But if you are one of those drivers, this is the time of year when you should have absolutely NO PROBLEM answering a dragon's questions about your declining numbers.

Whose health, or in this case, life, is at stake?

 

[Dracula]

I think what you are trying to say is that UPS could easily do their part by lightening the loads/demands and that they are not. It should be a no brainer but they typically don't do that. They know that it will be super hot about the same time every year so it's not like they don't see it coming. But they want to put the entire burden on the driver by reminding us to drink plenty of fluids and to not eat heavy meals via morning PCMs and messages from an OMS. Sometimes I honestly believe that they view us as indestructible drones.

They could, but as a profit-concerned corporation, they never will. We all know this as fact. So we need to take care of ourselves, as only we know how to do. They DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOU, THE DRIVER. Accept this fact, and you will be zen, baby. However you need to adapt, you should.

Ask a feeder driver to verify this, but it is true: a huge difference between PC and feeders is how many feeders call in when the conditions are bad. Snow and ice. UPS puts a BIG premium on driver safety. By driver safety, I mean, if you wreck, you get a lot of free time away from work. So, if the conditions are really bad, why risk an accident--that always ends up being ruled "unavoidable"-when you can just stay home that day? UPS knows this, and it's no big deal to call in on days like these.

 

[Dracula]

I wanted to add my thoughts on this tragedy. First, I am saddened by this and my prayers go out to her family and those who knew this lady, I'm sure she will be missed by all who knew her. My takeaway from the previous posts is we can't blame someone for this. We need to do our best to protect ourselves from the potential health risks of this job. If we need to work at a more reasonable pace, so be it. If we need to find an air conditioned place to cool down, so be it. If we need to find a place with heat to warm up, so be it. What I'm noticing is that many drivers are thinking that they can be off the clock at the same time whether it's 80 degrees or 110., with a 11 hour dispatch. Do I think UPS could do more to ensure our safety, absolutely! Do I think the drivers need to do all they can to prevent a serious health issue at work, or anywhere for that matter, absolutely! I think UPS should ensure the breaks and lunches are taken to ensure driver safety during these days with extreme conditions. This should be a wake up call for all UPSers to look out for their personal safety. The dispatches should be lowered so no driver works over 9.5 hours a day. This job is too taxing on the system and the effects are cumulative. We as drivers have asked for the dispatches to come down, and I hope UPS will do the right thing and put safety first so all employees will make their last stop at home with their families.

Here's your paragraph in a sentence: Take care our yourself, driver, but, c'mon UPS, have a heart, fella!

You started out strong, Chief, but you pssed the bed at the end.

 

[DOK]

Really? How about a bunch more vents. Should be simple really

Was thinking of some sort of exhaust fan set up.