USPS employee dies in North Carolina from possible heat stroke
Wednesday Johnson, a USPS employee, died on June 6 while on duty in Fayetteville, North Carolina, presumably from heat stroke. Her family wants to use her death to draw attention to the conditions at the agency.
A North Carolina woman who worked for the U.S. Postal Service was found unconscious in a bathroom shortly after working in the back of a mail truck without air conditioning on a sweltering day, her family says.
“Wendy” Johnson, 51, died June 6 after “devoting over 20 years to the United States Postal Service,” according to her obituary on the Knotts Funeral Home website.
Her son, DeAndre Johnson, told USA TODAY on Monday that his sister called him to tell him their mother had passed out while he was working in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Five minutes later, she called him back to tell him her mother had died.
“I was on my way to Maryland,” said Johnson, a 33-year-old truck driver. “It didn’t really hit me until I pulled over.”
The U.S. Postal Service sent an emailed statement to USA TODAY on Tuesday saying it is “conducting an internal investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic situation. At this time, the Postal Service has no information regarding the cause of death of this employee.”
“It must have been so hot”
Johnson recalled that in previous conversations his mother had told him that it was hot in the back of the USPS trucks. He then asked his mother, who was a supervisor at her post office, why she worked in the back of the trucks.
“It must have been so hot,” he said of the day his mother died. “It was 95 degrees that day, so she was in the back of one of those metal trucks with no air conditioning.”
Sa’ni Johnson, Wendy Johnson’s daughter, told WRAL-TV that as soon as her mother returned from the truck, she went to the bathroom. When someone came to the bathroom 15 minutes later, she was unconscious, she told the Raleigh, North Carolina-based television station.
Based on conversations with family members who work in the medical field, DeAndre Johnson said they believe his mother died of heat stroke. USA TODAY contacted the North Carolina Medical Examiner’s chief medical examiner on Monday and is awaiting a response regarding Johnson’s cause of death.
OSHA investigates Johnson’s death Wednesday
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating whether Johnson’s death was caused by heat, DeAndre Johnson said.
“My mother died on the clock,” he said. “She worked for the state and died on state property.”
In response to Johnson’s death, USPS leadership sent her family a name plaque and held a memorial service in her honor, her son said. Although the gestures were welcomed, DeAndre Johnson said he believes the agency was “saving face.”
The USPS said in its statement to USA TODAY that its “carriers deliver mail in varying temperatures and climate conditions throughout the year,” including “during the summer months when temperatures rise across the country.”
“The safety of our employees is our highest priority and the Postal Service has implemented a national Heat Illness Prevention Program (HIPP) for all employees,” the statement continued. “Under the HIPP, the Postal Service provides mandatory training and instruction on heat and other safety issues to all employees and ensures they have the resources they need to do their jobs safely.”
“Porters are reminded to ensure they stay hydrated, wear appropriate clothing, including hats, seek shade when possible, and carry adequate water and ice on their routes. Porters are also instructed to call 9-1-1 if they experience symptoms of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, and are provided with information to help them identify symptoms associated with these two forms of heat illness.”
DeAndre Johnson remembers his mother as “kind” and “caring”
Sa’ni Johnson said she considered her mother her “community” because she “didn’t need anyone but her,” WRAL-TV reported.
DeAndre Johnson said he hopes his mother’s death will draw attention to working conditions at the postal service, especially in the delivery trucks. He will remember his mother, who was from Brooklyn, New York, as a kind and caring person, but certainly no pushover.
“You can tell Brooklyn is still in her,” he said.
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