Stay well watered

By - , Build 175

With summer and its long, hot days just around the corner, get smart about drinking plenty of water and staying away from sugary drinks.

MISTAKES HAPPEN more often when there’s too much liquid coming out of the body and not enough of the right stuff going in. This is especially true in construction in summer when the whole process gets turbocharged.

Dehydration can be dangerous

As a result, people can lose concentration, get a bit spacey or just lose their edge, and this can lead to mistakes and accidents. And it’s a process that can sneak up on you.

Doug Pokiha, the company trainer at Palmerston North’s Scafit scaffolding company, says he’s seen first-hand how dehydration can hit the performance of the guys in the team.

Good food and plenty of water needed

The key culprits are sugary and caffeinated energy drinks going in and plenty of sweat coming out.

Nutrition is important too in a physically tough job like scaffolding, Doug says.

It’s possible a few of the guys in the Scafit gang may have skipped those particular classes at school as it hasn’t been unknown for one or two of them to consider ice cream the breakfast of champions.

Water is key, he says, and the programme they have at Scafit has gone a long way to set the guys up for a good day’s work and keep them going strong. It starts with a fried breakfast on Mondays and having plenty of cereals available during the rest of the week.

‘I always love getting the best out of the boys,’ Doug says.

Owner Dave Crowley told Site Safe that looking after staff is part of that whole package of wellbeing at the company.

‘We saw that water and hydration were critical factors in the job,’ he says.

Minor accidents in afternoon

‘Come the afternoon, because we’ve got a really physical job, dehydration is a real problem.

‘We couldn’t really prove it, but we had a feeling that some of our minor accidents were happening in the afternoons, and particularly later in the day, because of it. We started putting that down to fatigue linked to water intake and food.

‘If the guys aren’t eating properly, they’re certainly not thinking properly,’ he says.

Going by the chart

One initiative was to put pee-colour charts in the toilets so the guys could compare what was coming out of them with the colour on the chart. Too dark, time for water. If it turned purple, it might be time to lay off the beetroot – or book a visit to see their doctor.

For owner Nicki Crowley, a nurse in a former life, good nutrition and hydration just make sense. ‘I make sure we have lots of fruit and we have healthy breakfasts – it’s muesli, toast and Weet-Bix.’

And the breakfasts go all day. So, if the pie shop doesn’t appeal or pay day is a few days too far away, there’s always something healthy and filling that everybody can tuck into.

Pointers for summer

Here are some other tips for when the days warm up.

Stay cool, stay covered

Kiwis have one the highest melanoma rates in the world. Limit your exposure to harmful UV rays by covering up with UV-rated clothing and wearing high-quality sunblock and safety sunglasses.

Wear breathable fabrics and a hat, but be sure to comply with your company’s clothing/PPE rules.

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Don’t sweat it

Stay hydrated with lots of water. Most people need about eight glasses of water a day, but if you’re working in the heat, you’ll probably need more.

Avoid dehydrating drinks like those with too much sugar or caffeine.

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Be the person with a plan

Plan ahead to try to limit your time in the heat and work in the shade when possible. Take regular breaks and consider extra breaks if the work is demanding.

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Know the warning signs

Make sure you know the danger signs to look out for when working in the heat for yourself and others.

If you do overheat, you’ll notice symptoms like:

  • feeling weak or dizzy
  • darker-coloured urine
  • pounding or rapid pulse
  • loss of balance, fainting
  • headaches
  • muscle cramps
  • mood changes or confusion
  • clammy or sweaty skin.

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