BALTIMORE — Last summer, the Office of the Inspector General received a complaint regarding working conditions at the Department of Public Works (DPW) Bureau of Solid Waste (BSW).
Their new report contains information that covers working conditions at the Bowley's Lane and Cherry Hill sites.
The investigation began on June 5, when a complaint was received citing a lack of water and ice at the Cherry Hill site. The temperature that day was 90 degrees.
Evidence was soon found to support that complaint and DPW responded saying they would turn their main trailer into a cooling station.
About a month later when the OIG visited the site, there was no evidence ice or water was delivered.
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Employees reported the day prior that water bottles were delivered to the yard in a trash can full of ice, but nothing that day. The ice inside the trash can was melted, and the water bottles were warm at 6:00 a.m.
The air-conditioning in the main trailer that DPW had previously stated would be a cooling station had stopped working a few weeks before, and the thermostats read 83 degrees and 85 degrees before 7:00 a.m.
Since the investigation began in June, DPW made numerous improvements to both facilities.
The latest on the OIG's findings of poor working conditions at DPW
At Bowley's Lane, DPW installed toilet paper dispensers and made toilet paper available to employees, painted interior walls, repaired broken lockers and installed new sinks.
Then, at the Cherry Hill facility, DPW repaired and installed ice machines, fixed the broken faucet, installed new portable air-conditioning units, scheduled a deep cleaning, and installed electrical hardware in the administrative building.
Despite these improvements, more information on the poor working conditions and negative work environment was found.
SEE MORE: Poor working conditions leave DPW workers having to ask permission for toilet paper
One witness said the temporary improvements were like "putting lipstick on a pig,” and a supervisor stated there is an absence of initiative to enhance the facility conditions.
The report notes employees have dealt with poor working conditions at these sites that trace back at least 20 years.
The Bowley's Lane facility first starting running in 1927 and employees said the office smelled like a sewer and fecal matter.
The administrative building at Cherry Hill was constructed in 1962 and expanded in 2003. Employees said the conditions were "horrible" and "horrific."
”When entering the locker room, you feel like you are about to have a heart attack," one person said.
From 2019 to 2024, BSW employees have reported 1,627 injury claims to the City’s third-party worker’s compensation contractor. Averaging about one claim per day.
In 2024, 154 of the 293 injuries were employees from Bowley’s Lane and Cherry Hill.
Many employees said if an injury was not reported the same day, they were told they would face disciplinary action, including suspension.
Lastly, numerous solid waste workers, drivers and supervisors said the City's load packer trash trucks continuously have maintenance issues that affect workflow.
Some of the issues with the trucks include broken air conditioning, generally dirty, hydraulic issues and there are holes in some of the vehicles that allow exhaust to enter the cabin area.
The OIG reviewed a repair order report showing from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023, 2,146 vehicles were sent for general repairs.
In response to the report, DPW issued the following statement:
DPW remains committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace environment, not only for BSW, but all of its employees. In understanding that BSW employees are at the forefront of providing critical services that touches every resident and visitor to our Charm City, DPW will continue to refine its processes, procedures, and practices in order to meet this mission. This includes enhanced training, enhanced facilities, enhanced culture, resulting in a high-performing workforce.
To read the full OIG report, click here.
