Heat Wave Death Of Valley Mail Carrier Leads To Fines

WOODLAND HILLS, CA — The U.S. Postal Service was taken to task Thursday for the tragic death of a mail carrier, who died trying to deliver mail in 117-degree heat in Woodland Hills last summer.

The postal service was fined nearly $150,000 and sites for violations related to heat stress incidents, federal officials announced Thursday.

"The employee suffered hyperthermia while delivering mail in July 2018 when the outdoor temperature reached 117 degrees. The general duty violation addresses USPS's programs and procedures for employees working in high-heat situations. The postal service was also cited for a repeated violation of record-keeping requirements related to recording heat stress incidents," read a statement from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration. "Proposed penalties total $149,664."

"The U.S. Postal Service knows the dangers of working in high-heat conditions and is required to address employee safety in these circumstances," said OSHA Oakland Area Office Director Amber Rose. "USPS is responsible for establishing work practices to protect mail carriers who work outdoors from the hazards of extreme temperatures."

Peggy Frank of North Hills, 63, was found unresponsive on the afternoon of July 6 in the 4800 block of Calderon Road and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Temperatures hit a record 117 degrees in the area on the day Frank died.

The coroner's office listed her primary cause of death as hyperthermia -- above normal body temperature -- and obesity and idiopathic cardiomyopathy, or heart disease, as "other significant conditions."

Friends remembered the 63-year-old mail-carrier as a cheerful soul who loved dogs. The North Hills resident spent 28 years serving the community.

"We feel very sad that this happened," said U.S. Postal Service spokeswoman Evelina Ramirez said at the time. "At this time our thoughts and prayers are with the employee's family at this difficult time."

Postal carriers work in all kinds of extreme weather including heat waves. During heat waves, they are reminded to wear cool clothes and hats while bringing ice and water on their routes, she said.

City News Service contributed to this report. Photo: David Allen/Patch