Police officers wear ring-shaped neck warmers and sunglasses while on duty in Osaka’s Chuo Ward.
20:00 JST, September 8, 2024
OSAKA — Police officers in Osaka are being encouraged to use heat protection products such as neck ring coolers and cold drink holders to prevent health problems amid this summer’s high temperatures.
The Osaka Prefecture Police Headquarters launched the initiative this summer in response to a series of cases across the country in which police officers were taken to hospital or complained of feeling unwell at work.
Uniformed police officers are at high risk of heat stroke because they have to patrol and stand guard in the blazing sun while wearing items such as a steel protective vest weighing around seven kilograms. There were previously no existing regulations regarding the use of heat protection products.
On July 10, the Osaka Prefectural Police issued an advisory to all officers recommending the use of such products, based on a notice from the National Police Agency calling for anti-heat measures. The use of sunglasses to protect against ultraviolet rays has also been approved.
The initiative has been very well received by police officers on the front lines. However, there is concern that residents may see police officers as negligent in their duties, leading the prefectural police to work diligently to share information to ensure residents understand.
