Department of Public Works

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.

Baltimore City Council is set to hold hearings to examine work conditions at the Department of Public Works following the death of employee Ronald Silver ll on August 2, 2024.

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

Unions call for hearings into workplace conditions, additional health and safety training, as well as a full-time OIG investigator dedicated to DPW.

The pause and training are a direct result of Ronald Silver II’s death, a solid waste worker who died on Friday while reportedly showing signs of heat stress.

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.”

The Department of Public Works is almost up to speed on its challenges with delayed trucks, staffing vacancies, and route changes.