A side effect of sweating is the loss of valuable fluids. The rate of fluid loss is related to work intensity, environmental conditions, acclimatization state, clothing, and hydration status. Dehydration of greater than three percent of body weight increases the risk of developing heat illness, heat cramps, heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

The onset of significant dehydration is preventable when hydration protocols are followed. Workers should begin their work day well hydrated.

Drink before you’re thirsty. If you’re thirsty, you’re already in the beginning stages of dehydration. Hydration is generally 10 fl. oz. every 10 to 20 minutes; depending on sweat rate and environmental conditions, individual amounts will vary. If urine is not lightly colored, to clear, you are probably dehydrated. Urinating every 2 to 4 hours is normal.

Rehydration should contain water to restore hydration status, carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores and electrolytes to speed rehydration. While individual differences exist, a cool beverage (50 to 59 degrees) is recommended. Cool beverages are absorbed at a faster rate than warm beverages.

Avoid caffeine and carbonated beverages. Carbonated drinks decrease the amount of fluids that can be absorbed by the body while caffeine acts as a diuretic increasing fluid loss through increased urination.

Basic signs and symptoms of dehydration are thirst, irritability and general discomfort followed by headache, weakness, dizziness, cramps, chills, vomiting, nausea, head or neck heat sensations and decreased performance. Early diagnosis of dehydration decreases the occurrence and severity of heat illness.

Fruit juices, sodas and some sport drinks have concentrations of sugars greater than eight percent and are not recommended for rehydration. They require greater digestion, thereby slowing gastric emptying and delaying water getting absorbed into the body’s tissues.

However, sugar-free, performance drinks are available to industrial workers. According to Leon Wolek, creator of energy drink Qblast, performance of athletes and industrial workers alike can be improved by drinking sugar-free formulas that don’t cause a rise and ‘crash’ of energy. He says proper rehydration drinks should include the right amount and type of carbohydrates and electrolytes that allow for maximum absorption of fluids into the system.

Wolek, a triathlete who loves the sport of hockey and spent years at the old Chicago stadium mixing beverages for NHL teams that needed long lasting energy, was also involved in providing beverages to the 1980 US Olympic hockey team that upset the Russians in “The Miracle on Ice.”

But there’s more to it than just rehydration. Wolek says he’s found that a major concern of employers is the hygiene conditions of the coolers from which employees consume beverages for hydration.

Typical hydration of construction workers, maintenance employees, truck crews etc, consists of a cooler on a truck, in a tent, or on a structure. Coolers that are not correctly cleaned or maintained may become contaminated with bacteria that can cause illness or even death. Health regulations require that all coolers that are filled by hand must be emptied and cleaned at the end of the day, within 24 hours.

Wolek advises industrial workers to consider the following regarding their coolers: Are the coolers being cleaned properly and how often? What is your water and ice source? Who is mixing the beverages in coolers; at what location are they being mixed and what items are they stirring with? Are your coolers sealed after cleaning? Does anyone open them later in the day to store bottles, cans or food?

There is a sealed bladder system that is new to the market that addresses all of the above concerns. It allows users to keep their existing inventory of coolers, and eliminates hygiene concerns. It also allows for consistency of product because it comes premixed in five-gallon bags that drop into a cooler, with ice added on top of the bag, eliminating any waste. More ice can be added as needed and the bag is sealed so product stays fresh, increasing hydration participation in the workforce.

QBlast, developer of the Blast Bag, has worked closely with the South Texas Exploration Production Safety Network (STEPS) to test it where temperatures frequently reach triple digits. Due to the increase in staph infection concerns, safety managers and workers alike appreciated the idea of the sealed bladder system.

Workers told many stories of items that were found in regular coolers during the workday. They also spoke of how workers had a tendency to dip into the cooler with their hands for ice.

Though well meaning, it doesn't make sense just to fill a cooler with water and ice to keep workers hydrated with fluids that might make them sick.

Though well meaning, it doesn't make sense just to fill a cooler with water and ice to keep workers hydrated with fluids that might make them sick.