In July, Target announced a change to its long-standing dress code. The majority of its workers will now be able to wear shorts, CNN mentioned.
Previously, targeted employees were required to wear solid color pants, capris, or skirts, CNN reported to explain. Only employees who work outside, such as in the lawn and garden department, are allowed to wear shorts. But now, most of the company’s 440,000 workers in the US have access to that option to beat the heat.
Reason according CNN, is the global warming. The weather is getting warmer on average thanks to air pollution trapping heat in the atmosphere. This change has led to higher summer temperatures in many regions, especially areas that were already hot and humid, and caused severe heat waves in the United States this year, especially in the South.
Target’s policy change is a smart one, given federal workplace regulations. OSHA It requires employers to keep the site safe and free of many known hazards – this includes excessive heat.
according to CNNTarget also has other policies in place to help employees stay cool, including breaks to get water and rest when it’s hot.
Unfortunately, not all employers follow these guidelines. According to 2021 analysis By NPR, the rate of heat-related deaths among workers has doubled in the past three decades, indicating that conditions are not as safe as they once were.
Workers and any other people who find themselves stuck somewhere hot can prevent dangerous conditions such as heatstroke by staying out of the sun, drinking water, applying cool, wet cloths to their skin, and in extreme cases, completely immersing themselves in a cool water bath.
In the long term, one of the most effective ways to reverse this trend of heat deaths would be to reduce the temperature of the planet by reducing air pollution from dirty energy sources such as coal, oil and gas.
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