Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Tuesday called for a “full investigation” into the heat-related death of a Baltimore sanitation worker, weighing in amid a growing chorus of criticism of the city’s Department of Public Works.

Moore said said he wants government employees “to know that their safety is going to be of the highest priority,” though he declined to disclose the individuals or agencies involved in investigating the incident.

The Democratic governor’s comments on the death of Ronald Silver II, who died while working Friday, a day the heat index reached 105 degrees, came after a coalition of Baltimore City Council members and union leaders came together to demand more protection for public employees, and DPW workers spoke about the need for change.

“These are the people who are doing the basic work to make sure that our streets are clean, the basic work to make sure that our waterways are clean, the basic work to make sure that we’re having trash and recycling pickups,” Moore said, speaking at the State House.

Moore added that he wants to make sure the state government is providing support to get that work done safely. When asked, he declined to disclose the individuals or agencies involved in investigating the incident.

Leaders for the AFSCME Council 3, the union representing the city’s public service workers, said Silver’s death was preventable and accused agency management of bullying, hazing and intimidation.

“The toxic culture at DPW must be gutted,” said Patrick Moran, the president of AFSCME Maryland.

“If it’s your management style, then you need to leave or we will help you leave the city,” he said.

Council members Antonio Glover, Isaac “Yitzy” Schleifer and Zeke Cohen, as well as city Comptroller Bill Henry, joined union officials outside City Hall Tuesday morning to call for immediate improvements to the working conditions and culture within the department.

The coalition’s demands include a full-time position in Baltimore’s Office of the Inspector General to focus on safety at the public works department and an independent review of the city’s facility maintenance contracts.

During the press conference, the leaders also called for the unions to be included in any investigation process and demanded regular training for all employees on health and safety, including first aid, CPR and heat exposure.

Glover, who previously worked for the sanitation department, said Silver’s death and worker safety are “near and dear” to him.

“We can no longer treat our men and women like the very same thing they pick up — trash,” he said.

Silver’s death must be a wake-up call, said Cohen.

“No one should have to wonder if it’s the last time they’ll say goodbye to their family when they leave for work,” he said.

DPW said in a statement Monday that it is committed to prioritizing the health and safety of its workers as Baltimore continues to experience extreme heat. The department declined a request for further comment Tuesday.

Silver’s death follows two reports from Baltimore’s Office of the Inspector General decrying working conditions at city-run sites, including the Cherry Hill sanitation yard that Silver worked out of and a facility on Bowleys Lane.

The watchdog reports found broken air conditioning, inoperable water fountains and nonfunctional ice machines at one facility, and damaged locker rooms and locked-up toilet paper at another.

Baltimore’s DPW halted all trash and recycling collection Tuesday to hold mandatory heat safety training sessions for employees at its Reedbird and Bowleys Lane facilities, a measure the coalition applauded but insisted did not go far enough.

On Tuesday, Scott said on WYPR’s Midday that training related to working in extreme heat has been “offered” to employees before. He added that poor working conditions at DPW stem from decades of disinvestment predating his time in City Hall.

These issues must be addressed “systematically,” he said.

At points, the mayor sounded defensive, arguing that there’s “no way” to do sanitation work in Baltimore in the summer without facing severe heat.

“We should be reminded that this work that he does is outside. It was a 100 and some degrees that day,” Scott said.

Still, Scott said out of respect for Silver and his family, he would not go into more depth on those conditions yet.

He reiterated his close working relationship with the city’s unions and commended sanitation workers for the “yeoman’s job” they do, taking work that others won’t even consider.

In addition to the training, Scott said Roberta’s House, a nonprofit, was on site offering grief counseling to Silver’s co-workers.

Scott said the state office of safety and health is leading an investigation into Silver’s death, and the Baltimore Police Department is “conducting a review” of the incident, which Scott said is standard.

In a statement later Tuesday afternoon, Scott said “we are going to work through every single concern alongside the union, members of council, and the rank-and-file DPW workers who are on the frontlines serving Baltimoreans every single day.”

“We are making the investments, both short-term and long-term, that these workers have not received in far too long,” Scott’s statement said.

Two employees at the Cherry Hill DPW facility, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they did not have permission to speak to reporters, said they wanted to see changes in the department.

“Maybe they should get more breaks. Make sure they have water available,” one of the employees said. “And if someone is tired and doesn’t feel good, listen to them.”

Extreme heat is the deadliest weather-related phenomenon in the United States. Hyperthermia happens when the body’s temperature climbs too high. Avoiding heat-related illness is all about prevention, according to the Maryland Department of Health.

The Solid Waste Association of North America, or SWANA, said heat safety is becoming more and more critical as temperatures climb each year.

“This tragic incident is a reminder of the importance of heat safety, training all team members to recognize the warning signs in themselves and their co-workers, and knowing what actions to take,” Executive Director and CEO Amy Lestition Burke said in an email.

Stuart Katzenberg, a spokesperson for AFSCME Council 3, said he is aware of other possible heat illness incidents from Friday and that the union has asked the department for data, including recent ambulance calls and hospitalizations.

Residents who said they saw Silver collapse told WYPR that his co-worker did not appear to be calling emergency services, but was on the phone with a DPW supervisor.

“I guess the driver had done the last round of trash pickup for Ronald, because Ronald couldn’t do it. The driver said that he thought he was just being lazy and didn’t want to work,” Gabrielle Avendano, one of the residents, told the NPR affiliate. Michael Cox, another neighbor, confirmed hearing the driver say the same thing.

There were 14 heat-related deaths in Maryland as of July 31, according to data published weekly by the state health department. There were nine heat-related deaths in 2023 and only five in 2022.

Silver’s death on Friday is not included in that count.

Baltimore Banner reporters Lee O. Sanderlin, Adam Willis and Meredith Cohn, and WYPR’s Emily Hofstaedter, contributed to this story. WYPR is a media partner of The Baltimore Banner.