In our last post, we shared the tips and strategies for fighting fatigue in the workplace. This post continues our series on making workplaces and their people safer, healthier and happier with the solutions to fighting dehydration.
Dehydration. What is it and Why is it Dangerous?
Dehydration is what happens when the body doesn’t have enough water. Severe dehydration is extremely unhealthy and causes a range of medical problems. But even mild dehydration can affect physical and mental performance and cause dangerous accidents on-site.
Watch out for these signs of dehydration:
- Thirst
- Sweating
- Urine that appears dark yellow or brown in colour
- Feeling faint or light-headed
- Tiredness and lethargy
- Irritability
- Appetite loss
How to Reduce the Risk of Dehydration
Drink lots of water and fluids throughout the day — before feeling thirsty. Because if you feel thirsty, you’re likely already slightly dehydrated. Six to eight glasses of fluid a day is a good general rule of thumb. But if its hot or your physical activity is high, make sure to drink extra.
Tips for Management and Supervisors
- Ensure everyone in your workplace has access to clean and cold drinking water.
- Give employees access to fridges and freezers where they can store bottles and hydration packs
- Look into workplace solutions for when employees are working on remote worksites
Tips for Workers
- Wear breathable clothing to reduce sweating
- Drink fluids throughout the day and with all your meals
- Always carry at least one water bottle with you and keep an additional frozen water bottle on hot days
- Use electrolyte products to rapidly replace fluids and minerals lost due to sweat
- Beverages such as juice, coconut water, or even sugary drinks are perfectly fine alternatives for staying hydrated
We hope these tips and strategies will help your team stay hydrated this summer. And keep an eye out for next week’s post where we’ll be tackling heat stress.
A Modified Container Solution
Our team builds modified containers fitted out with powerful air-conditioning, comfortable bench seating, and the best in industrial ice-machines, water dispensers and freezers.
We call them Respite & Rehydration Containers — dedicated, transportable spaces for protecting your team from heat stress, dehydration and fatigue on remote worksites.
Would this solution work for you?