SOUTH FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Union leaders representing postal workers traveled to Georgia on Thursday and demanded safer working conditions after four workers have died on the job in the same Palmetto facility in less than three years.
Union leaders went inside the building to make sure dozens of new phones that call directly to 911 work, Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes reports.
One of the biggest issues is getting on the phone to get help. Another is how difficult it is for paramedics to get to the workers.
“It’s a shame that we’ve had four deaths in this facility in the last two years, and all we’re getting is excuses,” said Jonathan Smith, national president of the American Postal Workers Union.
Smith said he’s not happy about having to travel to see for himself if the U.S. Postal Service is making the distribution center safer for workers.
He said access to phone service has been the number one issue with the four deaths. USPS agreed to install dozens of phones all over the Regional Processing and Distribution Center that call directly to 911 if someone needs medical help.
“It’s a shame that the Postal Service is finally putting phones in the facility after the fourth death. They sent me correspondence back in January that the phones were here, but there was no urgency to hook them up,” Smith said.
He said the phones work – but 27 of them is not enough to adequately cover this million-square-foot facility.
“We all know that when you’re in trauma, the faster you can get help the better your chances is for survival,” Smith said. “It’s insensitive, and it’s an excuse.”
USPS said it is also training workers to do CPR, to do first aid and use a defibrillator, but union leaders say they’re not doing it fast enough.
Sen. Jon Ossoff also made an official inquiry into the deaths about three weeks ago.
The USPS said in response to Smith’s call for an independent safety review that they mourn the loss of postal workers and have “thoroughly reviewed these incidents.”
“While your letter demands ‘corrective action’ from the Postal Service, my understanding is that the deaths of each of these employees was the result of natural causes and not workplace accidents. If any death had been caused, for example, by unsafe work conditions or inadequate training or improper instructions from a supervisor, I would be happy to work with you to address and correct those issues.
“Considering that these unfortunate employee deaths did not result from workplace safety issues, the Postal Service respectfully declines your request that USPS immediately commission an independent, comprehensive safety review of the Palmetto Regional Processing and Distribution Center.”
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