Target is allowing store employees to wear shorts as heat waves bake the South and Southwest. For other workers, presumably delivery personnel and warehouse workers, frequent water and rest breaks are being extended.
Studies have shown that climate change is making heat waves more frequent and more severe. Worker risks include heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and dehydration.
Taking the brunt of the heat is retail’s delivery force. OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) lists mail and package delivery as one of the primary industries where outdoor workers suffer from heat-related illnesses.
