Baltimore DPW suspends trash, recycling pickup Tuesday to focus on safety after worker's death

BALTIMORE - Baltimore's Department of Public Works (DPW) will move back its trash and recycling collections this week while employees attend a safety training session in the aftermath of a worker's on-the-job death.

Ronald Silver II died on Friday after he experienced a medical situation at the end of his shift in Baltimore's Barclay neighborhood, according to city officials. Silver was taken to the hospital where he died.

DPW will be conducting a mandatory heat safety training session on Tuesday which will delay trash and recycling pickup. The session will focus on the Occupational Safety Health Administration's guidelines for recognizing the signs and symptoms of heat stroke and related illnesses and ensure employees recognize heat stress hazards and act appropriately to address those hazards, according to Baltimore City officials.

The training targets DPW's Reedbird and Bowleys Lane employees but is also offered to all DPW employees.

Normal trash and recycling duties will resume on Wednesday, August 7, while a make-up day has been scheduled for Saturday, August 10. 

Service Adjustments:

• Trash and Recycling Collections: Suspended on Tuesday, August 6. The make-up day is Saturday, August 10.
• Mechanical Street Sweeping: Operations will continue as scheduled.
• Residential Drop-Off Center and Landfill Operations: Unaffected by the service change.

On Tuesday, drop-off centers will remain open to residents and haulers during regular operation hours:

• Northwest Transfer Station, 5030 Reisterstown Road (7 a.m. - 5 p.m.)
• Quarantine Road Landfill, 6100 Quarantine Road (9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.)
• Northwest Residential Drop-off Center, 2840 Sisson Street (9 a.m. - 7 p.m.)
• Southwestern Residential Drop-off Center, 701 Reedbird Avenue (9 a.m. - 7 p.m.)
• Eastern Residential Drop-off Center, 6101 Bowleys Lane (9 a.m. - 7 p.m.)

"DPW remains committed to prioritizing the health and safety of our frontline workers as the City grapples with the impact of extreme heat," Baltimore City DPW said in a statement. "We will continue to assess working conditions at all sites and make necessary adjustments to ensure a safe working environment for all employees."