The Office of the Inspector General revealed that the Department of Public Works’ reporting on heat-related illnesses omitted 10 cases of employees who suffered from heat-related disorders.

“Six of the 10 employee-reported illnesses that were not found on DPW’s spreadsheet occurred on days when temperatures reached 90? or higher, with two that occurred on a 103? day,” per the OIG report.

Of the illnesses omitted, employees reported symptoms of lightheadedness, dehydration, blacking out due to heat, dizziness and vomiting, heat stroke, fainting, chafing due to excessive heat, and cramping, according to OIG’s findings.

The OIG highlighted the risks of incomplete information on DPW’s health-related illness spreadsheet. “The absence of information in response to the OIG’s document request is concerning especially if the same incomplete information was provided to the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health and the law firm reviewing DPW’s heat standards,” reads the report.

DPW responded to OIG investigation, stating that the omission “should not have occurred.”

According to DPW, once they received the heat-related illnesses report from Sedgwick, a legal administration and litigation support group, the staff omitted instances they “believed were first described as heat-related but, upon evaluation, were not.”

“Specifically, they used the classification in columns K and L in the report to determine whether an illness was heat-related. If that was not explicitly stated on the report, it was omitted as staff believed that was the official determination by Mercy Hospital as to the cause of the Illness,” DPW explained.

DPW believes this was not an attempt to obscure the 10 missing cases, but rather claims the staff “wanted to provide the most accurate information and thought the information from Sedgwick was inaccurate.”

At this point, the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health has only requested copies of Maryland’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration forms. The forms have already been provided.

Have a news tip? Contact Lori Rampani at lrampani@sbgtv.com.