Heat Stress Awareness Is Critical With Increased PPE
Hot Months and Use of PPE Require Heightened Awareness of Signs of Heat Stress
Hot Months and Use of PPE Require Heightened Awareness of Signs of Heat Stress
Working in the heat requires us to redefine our safety measures. Operators putting in a full shift wearing certain types of PPE are going to get hot and sweat more than usual. We need to make sure everyone is staying properly hydrated throughout their shifts.
How To Know If You’re Getting Dehydrated
How To Know If You’re Getting Dehydrated
Working through the conditions of dehydration is not only physically uncomfortable, but can be downright dangerous when operating heavy equipment and working with tools. To keep yourself and those around you safe, it’s vital to consistently replenish electrolytes.
Signs Of Dehydration
Low blood pressure
White fingertips
Fast heartbeat
Skin that takes longer to return to its normal shape after you pinch it
Symptoms Of Electrolyte Loss
Muscle cramping or twitching
Fatigue, dizziness, nausea
Irregular heartbeat
Numbness or tingling
Loss of focus or confusion
Headache
Even mild dehydration can have negative effects on physical and mental performance. It can result in reduced energy levels, reduced endurance, and can even harm brain function. A familiar reaction to electrolyte loss is cramping. But by the time cramping sets in the body is already out of electrolytes. Cramping is the body’s way of indicating it is on empty. The goal in replenishing electrolytes is not so much to prevent cramping, but to maintain specific bodily functions at optimal levels.
Needless to say, if you, or a coworker is experiencing any of the above symptoms, it’s time to find some shade, and replenish. Always better to take a break rather than risk possible injury.
EVEN BETTER is to stay ahead of these symptoms. Studies confirm that keeping your electrolyte levels up allows you to stay focused, and work in the heat for longer periods between breaks.
Best Ways To Replenish
Best Ways To Replenish
Water can fend off dehydration but water alone won’t replenish lost sodium, chloride, potassium and other minerals. Just drinking sports drinks isn’t the only way to replenish electrolytes.
Sports Drinks
Sports drinks are full of electrolytes and carbohydrates (in the form of sugar)—which bind to electrolytes and water, delivering water and nutrients to your muscles faster. If you are working hard all day, this level of sugar is actually helpful. If you are working at a low level of intensity, then a good rule of thumb is to reduce your sugar intake by also including some sugar-free options.
Enhanced Water
Adding electrolyte packets to your water is an economical and effective way to replenish lost electrolytes. These drink mixes are enhanced with minerals necessary to replenish sodium, potassium and other lost minerals, and are beneficial to keep workers going and energy levels up. Some brands of water contain added electrolytes, but most people drink more water when it’s flavored.
Coconut Water
Packed with nutrients and low in sugar, coconut water is a great way to rehydrate and replenish electrolytes, especially potassium—which can prevent muscle cramping.
Natural Rehydration
A natural rehydration drink with electrolytes includes water, salt and sugar. Mix water with a 10:1 ratio of sugar (or honey) to sea salt. This will do the trick if you need to avoid sugar, or reduce your sugar intake.
By the way, it’s probably a good idea to ease off of the coffee on hot days. Coffee, and other caffeinated drinks, act as a diuretic—which causes your body to produce urine and speeds up dehydration.
Why Not Just Drink More Water?
Why Not Just Drink More Water?
In the heat of the job, sweating is the biological reaction to cool core body temperature. It seems logical that drinking water would replace water lost through sweating. However, drinking more water without replacing lost electrolytes can cause dilution and deplete what little remaining electrolytes are left. So while drinking water is a requirement in preventing dehydration, workers also need to replenish electrolytes. Having both water and sports drinks available onsite is a good rule of thumb to prevent and treat dehydration.
How Electrolytes Can Boost Productivity
How Electrolytes Can Boost Productivity
We can all picture athletes chugging down sports drinks to replenish their lost electrolytes. But, athletes aren’t the only ones who need to keep their bodies hydrated and fluid levels balanced. Physically demanding work can throw anyone’s body off balance both physically and mentally. Understanding the importance of hydration keeps us safe and ultimately more productive. During the summer months we need to find effective ways to beat the heat and get the job done!
The problems begin when the sweating starts. Excessive sweating during exercising—or when digging trenches, repairing mains or navigating a confined space—is what leads to dehydration and subsequent electrolyte loss. When bodies sweat, they lose both water and electrolytes, particularly sodium and chloride.
Not Just For “Athletes”
Not Just For “Athletes”
Physically demanding work and sweat go hand-in-hand, but even more so when you add hard hats, hi-vis apparel and other PPE over clothes.
Some advocate for the use of salt tablets for electrolyte replenishment; however, they only provide two of the electrolytes your body requires—sodium and chloride —but there are others your body needs to work properly. Additionally, they can supply too much sodium and overwhelm the body’s complex mechanism for regulating sodium.
How The Body Cools Itself
How The Body Cools Itself
The body regulates temperature like a furnace—constantly producing and dispersing heat through various processes
To dissipate heat, arteries and veins near the skin fill up to let heat energy radiate out of the body
Body begins to sweat which cools the skin by evaporation
When the air temperature is close or above normal body temperature, cooling of the body becomes more difficult
If the body cannot get rid of excess heat, it will store it and the core temperature rises
Keep The Crew Hydrated And Cool
Keep The Crew Hydrated And Cool
Just like elite athletes, workers who perform physically demanding jobs need to keep their bodies hydrated—and preventing electrolyte loss is far better than trying to play catch-up after symptoms have set in. It’s worth emphasizing in the next safety meeting just how important replenishing electrolytes is for worker health, safety and productivity.
Illustration courtesy of Ergodyne
In addition to internal hydration, it’s important to keep our bodies cool on the outside while we work. From bandanas and wrist bands to head and neck coverings, there are a lot of effective apparel options we can use to keep our core temperatures down on really hot days.
Evaporative and absorptive cooling gear can make a huge difference. For example, Ergodyne’s line of Chill-Its cooling products includes hard hat liners, dew rags, bandanas, vests and cooling towels that offer different cooling technologies. These things really live up to their name and provide relief in hot environments.
