Inspection Detail

Inspection: 1435594.015 - U.S. Postal Service

Inspection Information - Office: Raleigh Area Office

Investigation Summary

At 11:15 a.m. on October 3, 2019, an employee was working as a letter carrier for an independent government agency that was responsible for providing postal service in the United States. He was delivering mail. A customer stated that she initially heard her mail being delivered at around 11:00 a.m. About fifteen to twenty minutes later, she walked outside and noticed the carrier in front of her home, leaning into a bush with his head down. She saw him drop the mail, pick it up it, and then drop it again. The carrier then walked into a shaded area and fell to one knee while holding onto a fence. He had been on the street about an hour after leaving the office. This part of his route was a park and loop, and it took approximately an hour to complete. The local temperature in this North Carolina city at the time was 93 degrees F (34 degrees C). The carrier's vital signs were good, but his blood pressure was elevated. His speech was slurred. He was conscious the entire time but making little sense. He was hospitalized.

Keywords: Dizziness, Heat, Heat Exhaustion, Heat Injury Prevention Program, Heat Stroke, Heat index, Heat-related illness , Letter Carrier