On July 30, 2020, a second delivery driver in Texas died due to extreme heat conditions while working. The death occurred as the fight for safe working conditions become increasingly more heated, with advocates calling for more protection of workers in extreme weather. The driver, Gilberto Cortes-Silva, was reportedly working in the heat index of 102. He was using a company truck for a delivery in Texas City when he started feeling dizzy and disoriented, according to reports. He was found unresponsive after returning back to the truck and was pronounced dead at a nearby medical center.
Since then, labor advocates have called on the state of Texas and the federal government to provide better protections for employees working in extreme conditions, including better ventilation, supportive cooling gear, and mandated breaks in the hot weather. They have argued that despite laws in place surrounding heat safety, companies fail to uphold them, leading to unnecessary deaths. They also point out that many delivery drivers often do not receive the training they need on how to work in extreme temperatures, particularly for jobs like those in Texas where outdoor work is demanding and can pose deadly consequences. In response, many companies and municipalities have sought to update heat safety policies in order to better protect employees.
