As Baltimore swelters under extreme heat this week, the city is making adjustments to trash and recycling collection to keep workers safe, but said pickups will continue as scheduled. The changes come after the Department of Public Works faced scrutiny over the death of a sanitation worker last summer and after the state adopted new heat protection rules.

The heat standards require city workers to take a minimum 15-minute break every hour when the heat index is over 100 degrees. According to DPW, heat protocols also call for workers to stay hydrated, wear heat-safe gear and monitor for signs of heat-related illness.

The department halted collections at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday due to excessive heat, and drop-off centers closed early. Crew may begin their routes earlier than usual throughout the week, according to a press release.

Residents should leave bins out until they are emptied and call 311 to report missed pickups, said DPW.

Under the state’s new heat standards adopted in September, workers must take shaded breaks, be provided with at least 32 ounces of water and receive training on the symptoms of heat illness. Employers must also keep written heat plans and procedures. Maryland is one of just a few states to have standards protecting workers from extreme heat.

Maryland Labor Secretary Portia Wu said in September that the regulations are a matter of “common sense."

“We know, with the high heat that we’ve been seeing in recent years, that it’s really important to protect workers, and it’s also important for businesses to have clear guidance,” Wu said. “So we think we’ve achieved that with this new rule.”

Extreme heat can be deadly. Last year, at least 25 people in the state died of heat-related illnesses, according to the Maryland Department of Health. One of those people was Ronald Silver II, a 36-year-old sanitation worker who died on the job after asking for water. The day Silver died, the heat index rose to 108.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

After an investigation into Silver’s death, investigators at Maryland Occupational Safety and Health concluded the department routinely exposed employees to dangerous heat and humidity on the job. MOSH issued a citation in March to Baltimore outlining what they classified as a serious violation. In response, the Department of Public Works said it was taking steps to bolster protections for workers, including a heat illness prevention plan.

The Baltimore region is currently under an Extreme Heat Warning, with a high of 101 and a heat index forecast as high as 110. The National Weather Service issued an Extreme Heat Watch through Wednesday night.

In Howard County, curbside collection will begin earlier at 5 a.m. through this week. Anne Arundel County will start collections an hour earlier at 5 a.m. through the months of June, July and August.