Baltimore’s Department of Public Works is changing the trash pickup time for city residents to protect employees from the summer heat.

Trash and recycling collection will move from 6 a.m. to 5 a.m. between July 8 and Sept. 30, DPW officials said.

The collection days will not change, but residents are asked to place their bins out by 5 a.m. to avoid missed pickups.

Protecting DPW workers from heat

The change is part of DPW’s Heat Illness Prevention Plan, which was developed after the death of Ronald Silver II, an employee who overheated while working a trash route in August 2024.

The heat index was almost 109 on the day that Silver died, according to a Maryland Department of Labor investigation.

His death prompted several investigations into the DPW, including one by the city’s inspector general, which determined that a lack of air conditioning in trash trucks contributed to Silver’s death.

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Silver’s death, and the death of another employee, Timothy Cartwell, who was crushed by a trash truck, led the DPW to be cited by Maryland Occupational Safety and Health for failure to protect workers from dangerous heat and keep a place of employment free from hazards.

DPW Director Khalil Zaied spoke with WJZ after the investigations, committing to developing heat procedures for employees.

The department’s Heat Illness Prevention Plan includes heat safety training, hydration protocols and schedule changes implemented during high temperatures.

“With increasingly high summer temperatures, we are taking proactive steps to keep our employees safe while maintaining reliable service for residents,” Zaied said in a release. “Starting collections earlier helps reduce workers’ exposure to extreme heat, and it reflects our continued commitment to protecting the people who keep Baltimore clean.”

WJZ is a media partner of The Baltimore Banner. See the original report.