Baltimore City Department of Public Works

The heat-related death of a worker with Baltimore City's Department of Public Works brought attention to the conditions faced by employees there.

An outside law firm found a lack of training and knowledge about heat safety. They also found a culture in which employees were afraid to speak up about safety concerns out of fears over retaliation.

Khalil Zaied will lead an agency that has been marred by several scandals that include water quality issues, poor service delivery and reports of a toxic work culture.

“If the rats have a food source, a water source, shelter, they're going to be around and no amount of bait we use will mitigate that.”

Some local municipalities are getting proactive when it comes to setting heat policies.

The city has announced that they have hired an independent firm to audit policies at the Department of Public Works, particularly heat safety practices.

The standards apply to laborers working where the heat index is at 80 degrees.

The city was under a “Code Red” heat alert on Friday. Witnesses say Silver expressed feeling hot before he passed out.

The inspector general warns conditions could violate labor standards and union agreements.

“You don't have to guess which week to put it out anymore.”