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Representative demands answers after postal worker's death in mail-sorting machine; Postmaster General pledges investigation and visit
Summary
A congressional member pressed USPS leadership about the death of a postal worker trapped in a mail-handling machine at a Detroit-area distribution center, calling for OSHA responsiveness and a visit by the Postmaster General; the agency said OSHA is investigating and committed to follow up.
Representative Lee raised the death of a postal employee at the Detroit network distribution center in Allen Park and described accounts from co-workers alleging management pressured staff to retrieve letters from running machinery. He asked the Postmaster General to visit the facility, speak with employees and provide answers to the worker's family.
Postmaster General Steiner responded that the incident was a "horrific" and personal tragedy for the Postal Service and its workforce. Steiner said the agency is awaiting OSHA's final report, called safety the Postal Service's top priority and committed to visit the facility to make safety improvements a teachable moment. "Any time you lose someone, it's one incident too many," Steiner said, and he agreed to go to the plant.
Members said OSHA had been slow to respond to members' inquiries and urged rapid follow-up so the family and coworkers could receive answers. Lawmakers pressed for accountability and for actions that would prevent similar incidents, including sharper enforcement of plant safety procedures and clearer reporting of findings.
What happens next: Steiner said he will visit the Allen Park facility and the committee said it would work with OSHA and USPS leadership to expedite information for the worker's family and pursue corrective measures as appropriate. OSHA's proximate findings and any USPS internal safety actions were not available at the hearing and were described as pending.
Note on sourcing: The account of the incident, internal complaints and the OSHA investigation were discussed on the record by members and the Postmaster General; committee staff said they would pursue the outstanding OSHA report.
