When most people think about dehydration, they think hot sunny days and and running around. Well, what about those men and women that work in hot environments even during the winter time.
No, dehydration is not just a summer issue. Hear Bubba explain why.
Jamie: That's interesting. So, I generally think of it as a summer problem, but you just spike something there, working near hot equipment or wearing PPE. It sounds like it's not just a summer issue.
Bubba: It is not a summer issue. If you get to the basics, from a physiological standpoint of hydrating the body again, the body is made up of 60 to 65% water. 70% of the US population is chronically dehydrated that has nothing to do with cold stress or heat stress
. If you're dehydrated, then you're going to complicate the symptoms, and you're going to see the symptoms and issues that go along with a dehydrated body put in the hazard of heat stress or cold stress, and the symptoms come from there. That's where we don't want to go.
So, typically, by having the proper amount of water and then having electrolytes available to replace when the body starts sweating, then we're in a better position to protect the individual from having an injury related to dehydration, whether it's cold stress or heat stress. That's the whole program.
(Learn more in Hydration in the Workplace Is Not Just a Summer Issue.)