Hyperthermia killed Baltimore DPW worker who died on job, autopsy confirms
BALTIMORE -- The autopsy report for Ronald Silver III, a Baltimore DPW worker who died while working in August, showed the man overheated in the extreme temperatures. The report was released by the Medical Examiner's office Thursday morning.
According to the autopsy, Silver died due to hyperthermia, a condition that occurs when the body reaches abnormally high temperatures.
The medical examiner's office said Silver's body overheated while he was working on August 2, when temperatures approached 100 degrees.
The manner of death was ruled as accidental.
After Silver's death, city officials and community activists called for safer conditions for DPW workers.
The Maryland Operation Safety and Health Agency began investigating Silver's death after the city hired a D.C.-based law firm to review safety policies and procedures at the Department of Public Works.
DPW has since initiated a plan for keeping work crews cooler during times of extreme heat.