Carla Gates had a strong reaction seeing her late husband's name in a letter signed by 77 members of Congress to the United States Postal Service Postmaster General.
“I had tears of joy,” Gates said.
The letter calls for the postmaster general to implement heat safety standards proposed by OSHA.
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Her husband, Eugene Gates, died while delivering mail in 2023.
"Eugene was working on June the 20th when the heat index was 119 degrees, and I received a phone call that he had passed out,” Gates said. “I just assumed, because of the heat, that he got overheated. But come to find out, Eugene passed from heat exhaustion on June the 20th of 2023.”
OSHA's proposed changes include allowing mail carriers time to acclimate to heat and mandatory breaks.
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U.S. Representative Marc Veasey of Texas explained why he chose to sign the letter.
“Just making sure that people are getting adequate rest,” Veasey said. “Getting adequate hydration and that we are really taking their health seriously needs to be a little bit more important and more of a priority.”
The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 132 president in Dallas Kimetra Lewis said in part of a written statement, “The union is grateful for the effort being made by our congressmen and women...”
She added, “Allowing carriers a mandatory 15-minute rest break every two hours will ensure that every letter carrier is hydrated throughout the day while performing their duties.”
The United States Postal Service responded to NBC 5's request for comment by saying:
"In July of this year, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued an unofficial version of a proposed rule on Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Settings. After publication, a formal rulemaking will ensue during which the Postal Service, along with any other impacted employers, will be afforded an opportunity to provide substantive comments to OSHA setting forth concerns and recommended changes to the proposed rule.
The Postal Service Heat Illness Prevention Program (HIPP) includes numerous provisions designed to protect postal employees from heat related issues. Pursuant to the HIPP, the Postal Service provides mandatory heat-related and other safety training and instruction to all employees and assures they have the resources and information needed to do their jobs safely. Carriers are consistently reminded to ensure they are fully hydrated, wear appropriate clothing, including hats, get in the shade whenever possible, and take enough water and ice with them out on their routes. Carriers are further instructed to contact 9-1-1 in the event they begin experiencing any symptoms of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, and they are provided information to help them identify the symptoms associated with these two forms of heat illness. All carriers are advised to take rest breaks as needed during hot weather.
The Postal Service looks forward to working with all stakeholders regarding the health and safety of all postal employees."
As for Gates, she said the letter inspires her to continue honoring her husband.
“I'm going to keep fighting,” Gates said. “I'm going to continue to be a voice for Eugene and the United States postal workers.”
