Archived Cold temperatures

[HRZone]

Where does it say it is the ETL's jobs and they can only ask for volunteers?

I have been forced to go get carts even though I never applied to be a cart attendant and have never been scheduled as the cart attendant.

My STL explained this is because there is outdoor temperature training required to getting carts. Only gsas, leaders and cart attendants take this training.

When you say they forced what did actually say?

"I need you to grab some carts for us" is not forcing you to get carts. It's clever wording to make it sound like you don't have a choice.

 

[HRZone]

Only "ask?" That's news to me.

Well to be fair your store tells you guys you can't take your second break and you guys don't do it. You guys act like damn slaves.

The reason regular team members don't have to get carts is they don't have the outdoor temperature training required that target puts in to protect themselves legally from team members going out in the extreme heat and extreme cold.

No different than how you don't have to clean up a chemical spill if you don't have the advanced hazardous materials training.

 

[Kartman]

Did you not read that thread?

I could repeat it for you, but it's easier for me if you just go back and finish the thread.

 

[NKG]

If your a cart attendant and live in a cold snowy state; I'd expect you to have a winter coat and gloves at least. I've seen LODs requisition gloves, hat and hot hands for CA if they seriously needed it.

 

[Ajax11]

The reason regular team members don't have to get carts is they don't have the outdoor temperature training required that target puts in to protect themselves legally from team members going out in the extreme heat and extreme cold.

I would love for you to provide the training module number for this extreme temperature training.

I have been with Target many years, originally as a cart attendant and as a SrTL. Most of this time in states with extreme temps on either end of the spectrum and have never heard of such a thing.

If myself or other leaders in the store tell someone to go get carts and they refuse, then it is grounds for a coaching conversation.

 

[Yetive]

We have cold/snow and I have no recollection of this training either. TBH, around here it would be kind of like making people take training on tying their shoes.

 

[Kartman]

Cold training?

I've heard of cold sores, but not this "cold training."

I'd like to see this module, too.

 

[Yetive]

In your case, if it gets below 60 degrees, be sure to bundle up .

 

[SrTLall]

I would love for you to provide the training module number for this extreme temperature training.

I have been with Target many years, originally as a cart attendant and as a SrTL. Most of this time in states with extreme temps on either end of the spectrum and have never heard of such a thing.

If myself or other leaders in the store tell someone to go get carts and they refuse, then it is grounds for a coaching conversation.

AFAIK, it's something new as my LOG TMs have to take it now and it didn't start popping up in my training until a couple months ago.

Alas, we work at Target. TMs who haven't done ladder safety training use ladders, people who haven't done ST0040 clean up chemicals, people who don't do the outdoor temperature training push carts. If people don't have common sense to not get injured doing any of these tasks, I don't know how they have survived into adulthood. I feel so bad for corporations/other entities who have to cover their ass on every single tiny detail for fear of a frivolous lawsuit that in today's society actually has a chance at winning. This.

 

[Kartman]

I can't believe they let us climb those tall ladders w/o any type of fall arrest system.

I guess not enough TMs have fallen off yet.

 

[HRZone]

I would love for you to provide the training module number for this extreme temperature training.

Read it and weep



ST0077

 

[HRZone]

If myself or other leaders in the store tell someone to go get carts and they refuse, then it is grounds for a coaching conversation.

No it's not

Trust me we've tried to put team members on a corrective under the failure to follow instructions guideline.

The first question from the HRBP is what are the official job duties for the tm.

I'm not saying you can't tell someone to go outside and get carts. What most team members don't understand is they are within their right to decline to do so.

 

[IWishIKnew]

Wow. I had no idea there was cold temperature training.

Which is pretty fucking hilarious, actually, because if you live in a place with extreme outdoor temperatures...you know how to deal with extreme outdoor temperatures.

It's not rocket science.

I would say something like YakTrax as standard issue gear for cart attendants would be way more useful than a 15 minute online module to tell you to wear layers, keep your hands, nose & ears covered and take shorter trips wherever possible.

 

[HRZone]

Wow. I had no idea there was cold temperature training.

Which is pretty fucking hilarious, actually, because if you live in a place with extreme outdoor temperatures...you know how to deal with extreme outdoor temperatures.

It's not rocket science.

I would say something like YakTrax as standard issue gear for cart attendants would be way more useful than a 15 minute online module to tell you to wear layers, keep your hands, nose & ears covered and take shorter trips wherever possible.

It's all liability protection for Target. Say someone got frostbite.

There's a store in my state that had a team member fall off a ladder and die. The company was fined because there wasn't ladder training at the time

Now everyone takes the step stool and ladder class.

Target fined $21,000 for worker's death in Lake Stevens - http://komonews.com/news/local/target-fined-21000-for-workers-death-in-lake-stevens

 

[IWishIKnew]

Ugh.

Lawyers. No wonder people have no damn sense in this country anymore. Why develop common sense when you can just sue someone from your own stupidity and/or carelessness? Don't get me started, as a parent, on the number of super useful kids' products that get recalled because people can't be arsed to RTFM or apply an ounce of sense to the use of things.

 

[Tessa120]

Which is pretty fucking hilarious, actually, because if you live in a place with extreme outdoor temperatures...you know how to deal with extreme outdoor temperatures.

I gotta disagree. I grew up in cold weather.

One of the fun facts is that the super bright red color your skin turns is actually a cold injury. There is actual damage to your skin and it is getting pretty close to being frostbitten. Living in a place with cold weather never taught me to be concerned. If your skin was red, oh well. If parts of the red area were actually very pale, oh well. No one said anything other than "You can't feel that? Go wash that part in the sink."

Then there's wearing the absolute heaviest thing you own. Also something not to be done, but that's how we were raised. Super thick coat, super thick snow pants, moon boots. Nope, layers, lots and lots of fairly thin layers. It'll trap heat better, keeping you warmer. And if you accidentally layer too thick or too thin, you can adjust your layers pretty quickly.

And when it snows, cotton is to be avoided at all costs. Never learned that either, growing up people swore by cotton. Warmest thing ever. Allows for breathing. Yep, and when that snow hits you and your body heat melts it, the cotton gets wet and then bye bye all your body heat.

Judging from my childhood and the so-called wisdom of the elders around me, it seems that simply living where it's cold is actually the best way to not know how to properly deal with the cold.

 

[Tessa120]

Ugh.

Lawyers. No wonder people have no damn sense in this country anymore. Why develop common sense when you can just sue someone from your own stupidity and/or carelessness? Don't get me started, as a parent, on the number of super useful kids' products that get recalled because people can't be arsed to RTFM or apply an ounce of sense to the use of things.

That's not a lawsuit, so lawyers have nothing to do with it. Those were violations of state and federal regulations.

 

[IWishIKnew]

Target TMs aren't spending hours out in the cold risking frostbite, so I don't think there's anyone coaching them to wear cotton & moon boots or the cold weather training will necessarily be better than anything else.

Lawyers have nothing to do with regulations? Lulz.

 

[Tessa120]

Hours? Back when I was growing up, including my late teens, technical adulthood, it was just walking to the bus stop that caused the near frostbite cold injury every day. Snow was actual a welcome thing because far too often during the winter it was too cold to snow.

 

[TTGOz]

Unfortunately, you still have to go out and get carts. people are brain dead and will still go out and shop in blistering winds and temperatures.

Make sure you layer up. The most I layered up on the coldest day of winter last year was Three pairs of socks, boots, pants, shorts underneath, thermal underwear, under layer of stretchy gloves, then thick winter gloves. I had a t-shirt underneath, then a sweatshirt/hoodie, then my two-layer winter coat. I wore a stocking cap and a ski-mask, and used my coat's hood, although I tried not to that much because it created a blind spot on both sides of my head where I couldn't see on-coming cars. Lots of hand warmers, it was about -3 all day and was snowing almost all night, was insanely wet and cold, winds were horrible, not fast, but extremely chilly.

Here in Minnesota, this weekend isn't suppose to get above -7 degrees.

EDIT: I can't believe I forgot to add snowpants. I wore snowpants, too.

 

[TTGOz]

Honestly if you've brought gloves and a winter jacket along, any TM should be fine with grabbing one quick row of carts and leave the rest to the others until asked again.

To be even more honest, you will probably get a free hot drink from sbux or food ave if you help out more than twice. I'm not gonna hate you if you're able to go and get carts but you don't want to, but I will remind anyone that it's a team effort. As an ex-cart attendant now working on the floor, I remember the ones who did or didn't help. Help is appreciated, but being a baby because it's a bit cold out is literal shit. Now, I know it's cold as fuck out right now, so that last statement doesn't pertain to present day, and yeah it's not your job to bring carts in, but it's literally no different than you asking for help from another work center because you're behind and all alone. It's not their job to go and do your shit, but they still do it.

I'm more or less talking about TMs who don't feel like helping in 30 degree weather, 30 degrees is literally nothing to go out and push in a row or two.

7 carts or less is the policy for hand pushing, but once in a while, I've pushed in 17 carts by hand(and that was the last time, I realize there are limits to a human being) but routinely you'll catch me doing 10-12 carts by hand on a good day. Not much wind, and not cold or extremely hot. I do work by the 7 cart policy most days, on windy days I'm forced to push in 3-4 carts at once, or when it is blizzarding out and it's only 30 degrees(which means an extremely wet parking lot and wet snow) it's impossible to push even 5 carts through 3 inches of snow without a struggle because for some reason the wheels stop moving and the snow acts like a wall.

 

[buliSBI]

I did a year stint in Iowa doing carts at a Super through 3 blizzard systems. . And it was Below 0* quite a bit. And eight years of Tennessee winters. I even wore my hiking gear, North Face coat/thermal underwear/face mask (with AP approval) quite a lot.

Best thing I can suggest is to partner with your ETL/GSTL. Figure out what your store will provide for you to stay warm. And if there is a limit to working outside.

In my experience,

1. If Carts has double coverage, rotate runs outside. Or double team to get back inside quick.
2. Ask your ETL/GSTL, if CAs can get Hot Chocolate/Coffee during a shift.
3. Does your store provide coats/winter gear? If your store has a Frozen room, they should.
4. Make runs quick

If your Cart Pusher has trouble in the cold or loses traction due to ice. Let your leadership know ASAP.

 

[HRZone]

Stores are supposed to provide the facemask according to osha if it hits a certain temp

 

[TTGOz]

I did a year stint in Iowa doing carts at a Super through 3 blizzard systems. . And it was Below 0* quite a bit. And eight years of Tennessee winters. I even wore my hiking gear, North Face coat/thermal underwear/face mask (with AP approval) quite a lot.

Best thing I can suggest is to partner with your ETL/GSTL. Figure out what your store will provide for you to stay warm. And if there is a limit to working outside.

In my experience,

1. If Carts has double coverage, rotate runs outside. Or double team to get back inside quick.
2. Ask your ETL/GSTL, if CAs can get Hot Chocolate/Coffee during a shift.
3. Does your store provide coats/winter gear? If your store has a Frozen room, they should.
4. Make runs quick

If your Cart Pusher has trouble in the cold or loses traction due to ice. Let your leadership know ASAP.

All good advice. My store provides some gloves and hats and hand warmers, but nothing beyond that. The snowpants they provided didn't fit anyone and was requisitioned in like 2008 lol. One year a GSA told me to run back and get a good pair of gloves I could find after the wet snow had soaked all the way through my gloves, and they were like these super nice ski gloves that were water proof... they disappeared in 4 weeks because someone took them. Thanks, other cart attendants of that time. My GSA was actually upset to hear that a $20 pair of gloves went missing in such a short time. They were super good and useful, but someone took them home one day and never brought them back.

 

[TTGOz]

I learned to ditch the cart pusher as soon as there was 4+ inches on the ground... there is no way that thing will be able to push any carts in without getting stuck in the parking lot. Usually it's in the un-plowed part, which would be the parking spaces. During snow events my town has pick up trucks with plows plowing the parking lot pretty consistently. Try to avoid the dark reaches of the lot, because more than likely there's way too much snow for anything to get through easily.

I'm not lying when I've ran out of breath hand pushing 5 carts in through a few inches of snow on the ground. When it's wet and sticky what happens is the snow creates like this wall on the bottom of your cart and prevents wheels from moving and now you're trying to push 5 carts with probably double the weight of snow on the bottom.. don't forget to account the snow that's been sitting in the carts if they haven't been brought in in a while.