PALMETTO, GA — Postal workers union members are calling for an independent safety investigation into the troubled U.S. Postal Service processing facility in metro Atlanta.
The renewed calls come after four employees died at the Palmetto Processing and Distribution Center over the past two years.
Previous concerns at the Palmetto facility have also centered on emergency response procedures and the lack of reliable cell phone service inside the building.
American Postal Workers Union President Jonathan Smith said an independent third-party analysis of conditions inside the Palmetto facility is critical to improving worker safety.
“What we’re asking for is not unreasonable,” Smith said. “What we’re asking for is not expensive, what we’re asking for is common sense.”
In 2024, postal worker Sharon Barnes died after collapsing while working inside the facility.
Officials previously said Barnes died from complications related to a brain aneurysm. Her family later questioned whether the building’s lack of cell phone service delayed emergency responders from being contacted.
In a statement, the U.S. Postal Service said local management is actively engaged with employees on safety measures. U.S. Postal Service officials say they’ve also added new tools including 27 emergency phones linked directly to 911.