A heat-related illness caused a UPS driver to pass out behind the wheel of a company truck in McKinney, Texas, as reported by a union representing UPS workers in Texas.
Teamsters Local 767 stated that the driver survived the crash and was released from the hospital.
The union criticized UPS for prioritizing packages over the well-being of its workers, citing this incident as the third in the McKinney building alone and advising employees not to rely on the company for their health and safety.
On the day of the incident, McKinney experienced a high temperature of 101 degrees according to the National Weather Service.
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In response to previous incidents, UPS announced an agreement with Teamsters to install air conditioning in newly purchased small package delivery vehicles starting in 2024, following a petition with over 1 million signatures urging for this change.
UPS also committed to additional measures to keep drivers cool in non-air-conditioned trucks, including installing cab fans, exhaust heat shields, and a new intake system for fresh air.
In a separate incident in 2019, UPS faced fines from OSHA after an employee suffered heat-related injuries in Florida.
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Following last week’s incident, the widow of a Texas man who died from extreme heat while driving a UPS truck called for better worker protections, expressing frustration over the lack of change in safety measures for drivers.
UPS responded to the incident, stating their concern for the driver’s well-being and ongoing cooperation with authorities in the investigation.
