No matter where you work, hydration is one of the first things to go when you’re working under pressure. Whether it’s scrambling to prepare for an important meeting in an office or speeding up construction on a project approaching deadlines, productivity rarely makes room for a water break.
What many don't realize, though, is that dehydration isn’t just working while you’re thirsty. It significantly increases your risk of workplace injuries, reduces cognitive function, and in worst-case scenarios, can lead to serious health complications. Whether you're operating heavy machinery, lifting materials, or making critical decisions at a desk, your hydration status directly impacts your safety and performance.
Understanding how proper hydration and injury prevention are connected can help keep workers safe, alert, and productive throughout their shifts.
Dangers of working while dehydrated
Dehydration poses real risks in any work environment, but the consequences are more tangible for jobs involving manual labor or outdoor work. When your body lacks adequate fluids, several dangerous scenarios can unfold.
Reduced physical performance and coordination
Even mild dehydration—losing up to 2% of your body weight of water—can decrease physical performance. This reduction affects your strength, endurance, and critically, your coordination.
Workers operating machinery, climbing ladders, or handling tools face increased accident risks when their reaction times slow and their motor skills become impaired.
Impaired performance function
Dehydration doesn't just affect your muscles; it can affect brain function and mood. Studies show that there’s a measurable link between dehydration levels and self-reported difficulty concentrating, confusion, and impaired decision-making abilities.
For workers who need to stay alert and make quick judgments—whether driving company vehicles or monitoring equipment—these performance impairments can lead to costly and dangerous mistakes.
Increased heat-related illness risk
Workers in hot environments face compounded risks from dehydration. A lack of fluids makes it harder for your body to regulate temperature through sweating, leading to overheating. This creates a dangerous cycle where rising body temperature increases fluid loss, further reducing your body's cooling capacity.
Higher susceptibility to musculoskeletal injuries
Dehydrated muscles and joints don't function optimally. Reduced blood flow to muscles and ligaments increases the likelihood of strains, sprains, and other soft tissue injuries. Additionally, dehydration can cause muscle cramps that may lead to falls or other accidents.
Signs of dehydration
To avoid these dangers and risks of escalating dehydration symptoms, knowing the signs becomes important for teams to monitor themselves as well as their coworkers. While thirst is the most obvious indicator, by the time you feel thirsty, you're already mildly dehydrated.
Physical symptoms
Dark yellow urine serves as one of the most reliable indicators of dehydration. Healthy, well-hydrated individuals typically produce pale yellow or clear urine. Other physical signs include headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and dry mouth or sticky saliva.
Performance indicators
Pay attention to changes in your work performance. Increased irritability or feeling unusually tired during normal work tasks often signal developing dehydration. Some workers also experience muscle cramps or feel lightheaded when standing up quickly.
Skin tests
A simple skin test can help reveal hydration status. Pinch the skin on the back of your hand and release it. Well-hydrated skin snaps back immediately, while dehydrated skin returns to normal more slowly.
Hydration strategies and policies
Effective workplace hydration goes beyond simply encouraging people to use water bottles. Comprehensive policies and strategies can create a workplace culture of adequate hydration and help workers look out for one another’s health.
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Cooling breaks
Implement mandatory cooling breaks during hot weather or when working in heated environments. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned areas. These breaks should generally occur every hour or more often during extreme heat conditions, allowing workers to cool down their internal body temperatures as needed.
On-site resources beyond water
While water remains the foundation of proper hydration, workers engaged in prolonged physical activity or those working in extreme heat may benefit from electrolyte replacement. Provide access to sports drinks or electrolyte solutions that are kept cool and accessible in sufficient quantities for every worker to utilize.
Consider implementing hydration stations throughout work sites with easily accessible, clean drinking water kept at cool temperatures. Some companies install misting stations or provide cooling towels during peak heat periods.
Limit caffeinated or sugary drink availability
Create policies that discourage excessive consumption of caffeinated or high-sugar beverages during work hours. While moderate caffeine intake isn't necessarily harmful, excessive amounts can contribute to dehydration. Energy drinks, in particular, often contain high levels of caffeine and sugar that can impair proper hydration.
Educate workers about how alcohol consumption outside of work can affect next-day hydration status, particularly for those scheduled to work in hot environments or perform physical labor.
On-site injury and heat illness prevention by Work-Fit
As you may already know, injury prevention is more than just knowing proper lifting techniques, it involves the whole body system working optimally. Hydration is a cornerstone of both mental and physical wellness that is easy to ignore during periods of high stress or with a lack of intentional policies.
One way to ensure your workers are taking every opportunity to reduce their risk of injury and enhance the work experience for others is by getting advice from experts in injury prevention who come out to your job site or floor. Work-Fit’s certified athletic trainers are trained in the principles of optimal performance and can immediately get to work training your team to be resilient and committed to a culture of safety.
Learn more about how Work-Fit can partner with you to keep workers safe, healthy, and productive by starting a conversation with our team today.
