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Rethinking Hydration: Why Dehydration Poses Serious Risks for High-Heat Workers

Chronic dehydration is a widespread but often overlooked safety hazard in high-heat workplaces, affecting cognitive performance, increasing accident risk, and threatening both worker health and productivity.

  • By Dr. Robert Sallis, MD
  • Oct 08, 2025

Environmental, health, and safety (EHS) specialists are becoming more concerned about the threat of excessive heat in the workplace, and rightfully so. Severe heat-related events like heatstroke, which are appropriately considered medical emergencies, are regularly reported in the news as they call attention to one of the most fear-inducing dangers related to dehydration. Catastrophic accidents are a major focus of workplace safety, but chronic dehydration is a subtle and pervasive threat in the background as well. The well-being of employees and the operational integrity of a business or public service are both at risk from the physiological deterioration that can accompany dehydration - something that is frequently ignored in day-to-day working conditions. For example, for a police officer or a firefighter, a decline in cognitive and physical function due to dehydration can lead to on-the-job mistakes that can be life-threatening. Imagine the impact of a dehydration-related mistake when responding to an emergency scene. In essence, high-heat workers are "occupational athletes," and their performance hinges on the same physiological principles as any professional athlete on the field. Occupational athletes deserve the same precise, science-backed approach that professional athletes receive.

It is important to recognize that although many businesses and organizations provide water on the worksite, water is not the optimal beverage because of its inherent limitations as a rehydrator. In brief, water is a great thirst quencher but a less-than-ideal rehydrator.  That is because water turns off thirst and turns on the kidneys, so we drink less and urinate more than we would with a carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage. For those working in hot conditions, such as construction sites, kitchens, manufacturing floors, or first-responder settings, staying well hydrated supports their safety and on-the-job performance.

The Pervasive Reality of Dehydration

A recent poll from Pocari Sweat’s State of Sweat Index showed that 83% of high-heat workers experience at least one symptom of dehydration daily, and 46% say it negatively impacts their comfort and performance on a weekly basis. This data highlights a significant discrepancy between perceived hydration and heat-mitigation strategies, such as providing water and shade or an escape from the sun, and the actual prevalence of dehydration symptoms. It's not enough to simply offer a cooler of water and a shady spot to protect workers from risks - proactivity is required in protecting high-heat workers from the dangers of dehydration on the job.

There isn't a single piece of hydration advice that benefits all occupational athletes. A proactive hydration approach must consider the fact that each person's sweating response and sweat composition differ greatly from one another. In addition to being inefficient, a one-size-fits-all hydration strategy (e.g., drink 8 ounces every 20 minutes) may provide a false sense of security for those workers with high sweat loss. Employers of high-heat workers should address this disparity by implementing individualized, data-driven hydration policies.

The High Cost of Unchecked Dehydration

Dehydration has considerably more negative effects than just physical discomfort; it also directly jeopardizes safety and productivity. The biggest dehydration related risk to workplace safety is the impact it can have on cognition, rather than the well-known physiological consequences, such as cramping, headaches, lightheadedness, and muscle aches. Research indicates that reductions in cognitive performance increase with the degree of dehydration, with impairments becoming noticeable once fluid loss exceeds 2% of body weight. The resulting decline in performance is comparable to the cognitive impairment seen after alcohol consumption, highlighting that even modest dehydration can pose risks similar to those of intoxication.

Dehydration-induced cognitive deterioration, like diminished information processing and mental exhaustion, directly increases the likelihood of accidents and expensive or harmful errors. According to the same high-heat worker survey, tiredness brought on by dehydration forced 33% of respondents to have to cease work due to dehydration-induced fatigue, and 24% witnessed colleagues do the same. These non-optimal hydration decisions might have disastrous consequences in addition to decreased production and enjoyment on the job. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) case studies are grim reminders of this reality, showing how workers have collapsed and perished from heat stroke despite having water readily available. These examples are glaring reminders that a reactive strategy, waiting for an employee to cramp, ask for a drink, or get sick, is insufficient to avoid potentially catastrophic heat illness.

Redefining Hydration Strategies

Providing water on the worksite has been the standard hydration method. Water is obviously necessary—and is far better than drinking nothing at all— but plain water is frequently insufficient for workers who perform intensive, technical labor for prolonged periods of time. One important thing to keep in mind is that adequate hydration involves more than simply the amount of fluids consumed; it also involves the body's capacity to rapidly absorb and retain those fluids. Carbohydrates and electrolytes are essential in this situation. Adding these nutrients to a fluid replacement solution promotes the absorption and retention of electrolytes and water. The idea that workers don't need caloric drinks is immediately addressed by this scientific premise: a worker can actually stay hydrated longer by consuming a small amount of carbs, which stimulate rapid fluid absorption and provide energy to muscles and brain, reducing mistakes and fatigue. A combination of water, electrolyte beverages, and drinks consumed with meals can be an effective approach to reducing the risks of dehydration.

OSHA currently recommends that employers provide electrolyte-containing beverages for jobs lasting two hours or more, because water alone cannot replenish the electrolytes lost through heavy perspiration.  This recommendation emphasizes that in order for a hydration program to be successful, it must include more than just water. Survey results support this, showing that just 35% of businesses presently offer electrolyte beverages, despite 68% of employees saying that drinking them improves their physical well-being when compared to drinking merely water1. Providing only water should no longer be the standard for workers in high-heat, high-pressure situations. There is a reason professional athletes consume electrolytes and carbohydrates leading up to, during, and following training and competition - doing so makes a tangible difference in performance and recovery outcomes.

Educating for a Proactive Future

A fundamental change in mindset is the most important step in changing workplace hydration - those who work in physically demanding jobs are "occupational athletes." For eight hours or more a day, frequently in difficult situations, workers subject their bodies and minds to prolonged stress, like an ultramarathoner or Ironman athlete.  From the organizational perspective, risk exposure can be decreased, employee relations can be improved, and productivity and satisfaction can increase significantly because of this minor investment in employee health and safety.

To establish this new safety culture, employers and organizations should adopt a proactive hydration program with three essential elements:

  • Making time for hydration: A shift to regular, scheduled hydration breaks is helpful. Thirst is a warning sign that dehydration is already present. In hot weather, OSHA advises consuming at least one cup (eight ounces) of water every 15 to 20 minutes, which is similar to the hydration regimens often employed in professional sports.  Keep in mind that some workers will require less, while others will need more, based on their individual sweat rates.
  • Scientific approach to hydration: Workers, like athletes, can benefit from knowing how much sweat they typically lose during a workday, as that is the most important insight into how much fluid they should consume.  Periodically weighing before and after a hot workday provides instant feedback on the effectiveness of that day’s hydration plan.  Weight loss of more than a few pounds indicates dehydration sufficient to increase the risk of heat illness and impair job performance.  Weight gain indicates that too much fluid has been consumed, suggesting the need to reduce consumption in the future.  There are now wearable devices that provide real-time feedback of sweat and electrolyte losses, prompting the wearer to drink enough to avoid dehydration.
  • Hydration training and education: There should be a strong instructional component regarding hydration. While 87% of workers are aware of basic dehydration symptoms like dizziness, many are unaware of other significant indicators like low blood pressure (20%) or constipation (22%). A thorough training program can enable employees to identify these warning signs early and take precautionary measures.

Chronic dehydration in high-heat environments is a widespread issue that poses a quantifiable risk to worker health and business performance. A reactive, water-only approach is no longer a practical safety measure.

The time has come for a new standard in workplace hydration, one that treats workers as occupational athletes, requiring the same scientific care and attention afforded to professional athletes. Employers can fulfill a basic duty to their employees' health and safety by using proactive, science-based, and customized solutions to ensure that dehydration does not pose a risk to worker health, safety, and productivity.

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