When people agree to work for a company in Florida, they face a unique set of risks depending on the industry they are working in, the types of day-to-day tasks they are in charge of completing and whether or not they adhere to the safety measures put in place for their protection. Delivery drivers who take packages to people and businesses are required to work regardless of whether it is pouring rain or the temperatures are soaring in the 90s and above.
For package delivery drivers this summer, the risk of experiencing a heat-related illness has been notably high. Reports of drivers ending up in emergency rooms across the nation because of fainting, cramping or kidney failure have been higher than in summers past. While companies promote practices to keep their drivers from suffering heat-related illnesses by drinking enough water, taking required breaks and reporting illnesses, delivery drivers say the support has been lacking as of recent.
A handful of delivery drivers who were interviewed expressed that despite the significant number of employees suffering from illnesses associated with the intense heat, there is little evidence to support that fact because many of them were discouraged from reporting their illness. In fact, some stated that they were required to continue working despite the presence of an illness. Others reported being sent to an urgent care facility rather than an emergency room which delayed their access to critical medical care such as IVs.
If people have been injured at work and their injury is being ignored by their employer, they may be eligible for compensation. An attorney can support their efforts to disclose their situation and demonstrate how it has affected their ability to work.
Source: MSN, “Heat takes down more UPS workers during hottest summer ever,” Lisa Riordan Seville and Adiel Kaplan, Aug. 22, 2019
