UPS has issued a statement responding to workers’ complaints and demands amid extreme summer temperatures.
“The health and safety of our employees is our highest priority,” Matthew O’Connor, UPS’ director of media relations, said. “Preparation, rest, hydration and maintaining good health practices are key to working outdoors.”
O’Connor added that UPS invests more than $260 million annually to implement programs focused on safety, including working in hot weather.
On July 28, UPS staffers took to the streets of Brooklyn in protest, demanding their employer establish better support during the summer heat wave.
“UPS drivers are trained to work outdoors and to manage the effects of hot weather,” O’Connor said.
UPS’ Cool Solutions program focuses on educating UPS employees about hydration, nutrition and proper sleep before working in hotter temperatures.
The company has morning meetings with drivers all year round, O’Connor added, reminding employees of forecasted temperatures and encouraging them to be aware of their own health conditions.
In the summer, UPS provides water and ice for employees, as well as regular heat illness and injury prevention training for all operations managers and drivers.
UPS also uses a safety platform called the Comprehensive Health and Safety Process, which regularly brings together local hourly employees and management to discuss health and safety.
“We also offer our employees multiple ways to share their concerns with us, and we promptly address issues when they are brought to our attention,” O’Connor said. “We never want our employees to continue working to the point that they risk their health or work in an unsafe manner.”
UPS posted revenue of $24.8 billion in Q2, up 5.7% from Q2 2021, and a net income of $2.9 billion, compared to $2.7 billion in the same period last year.
This story originally appeared on PRWeek US.
