A solid waste laborer died while working a sanitation route in Northeast Baltimore’s Barclay neighborhood Friday, according to a statement from the city.

“Our hearts are first and foremost with him, his family and loved ones, and his DPW colleagues as we grapple with this loss,” Mayor Brandon Scott and acting Department of Public Works Director Khalil Zaied wrote in a joint statement to WYPR.

According to officials, during the late afternoon, the laborer began to experience a “medical situation” that required “immediate assistance” while he and his co-workers were riding in their truck. Emergency medical services were dispatched, and the man was taken to the hospital where he then died.

The city asked for privacy for the man’s family while there is an investigation with the crew and medical professionals to “understand the details of what occurred.” The city said counseling and resources are being offered to the affected staff members.

Another source familiar with the matter said they believe heat may have been a factor in the worker’s death. Baltimore City’s Health Department issued a code-red heat alert Friday as “real feel” temperatures swelled upwards of 105 degrees.

Few details were available Saturday morning, but representatives from AFSCME Maryland Council 3, the union representing most DPW laborers, confirmed that the worker was a member.

“As we gather more information on the circumstances of the loss of our union brother, we mourn his loss,” representatives of AFSCME 3 wrote in a statement to WYPR. The union wrote that “whatever steps that have previously been made to keep our members safe isn’t working. Management needs to be taking the Health and Safety of our membership far more seriously.”

In a story posted to Instagram, Stancil McNair, who also works as a DPW sanitation laborer, broke the news of his colleague’s death.

“It’s so important that people pay attention to us. We go through a lot,” McNair says in the video. “We always get overlooked because we do trash. So we get treated like what we do.”

All eyes have been on DPW after a series of explosive reports released by the Baltimore Office of the Inspector General this summer revealed some sanitation yards had inadequate access to water and air conditioning, among other issues.

“Without adequate and safe working conditions, the City is not only potentially violating OSHA regulations, but DPW workers’ health and safety are currently at risk. The OIG requests for swift and immediate action to be taken to prevent further risk and explore alternatives, including a possible alternate work site,” wrote Inspector General Isabel Cumming in one report.

Scott responded to the report’s findings by saying his administration has been proactive in getting water and Gatorade to workers while also acknowledging that the sanitation yards, particularly in Cherry Hill, have suffered from decades of neglect under previous administrations.

“We set aside $20 million that’s going to go to our solid waste facilities, and the majority of these facilities that you see in this report are going to have complete renovations and transformations over the next three or plus years. That’s really our focus right now,” Richard Luna, deputy director of the Department of Public Works, said in an interview with WYPR last month. Luna said the department has been working to address the minor and immediate issues raised in the OIG’s reports, such as access to water and installing fans.

There is no federal standard set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to protect workers laboring in high heat, although the Biden administration sent in a proposal last month.

Maryland is finalizing its own heat standard, making it the first state on the East Coast to do so. That standard will likely not go into effect for months.

WYPR is a media partner of The Baltimore Banner.