COVINGTON, Ky. - With temperatures approaching triple digits the next couple of days, the garbage trucks will be driving down Covington streets an hour earlier than usual.

 

In an effort to protect workers at Rumpke Waste & Recycling from heat-related illnesses like heat stroke and heat exhaustion, the City of Covington has agreed to let Rumpke begin residential and commercial collection at 6 a.m. instead of 7 a.m.

 

“They have a physically demanding job that gets worse when the temperatures soar, so we think this is a reasonable request that will help keep them safe,” said Covington Neighborhood Services Director Ken Smith. “These men and women work hard on our behalf.”

 

During extremely hot weather, the City and companies like Rumpke base their decisions on the OSHA Heat Index, which takes into account not only air temperature but also relative humidity. It was designed by the U.S. Department of Labor as a guide for companies with employees who work outside in hot weather to protect them.

 

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