SAFETY MOMENT, MAY 19

Know the signs of dehydration

See today's safety moment How to give a safety moment

Safety moment, May 19

Your body loses water all day through sweat and breathing, even when you do not notice it. When you fall behind, you get tired, dizzy and slow, and a tired, dizzy worker is more likely to slip, fall or make a mistake with a tool. In hot weather, dehydration also raises the risk of serious heat illness.

SAFETY MOMENT

May 19

The hazard

Your body loses water all day through sweat and breathing, even when you do not notice it. When you fall behind, you get tired, dizzy and slow, and a tired, dizzy worker is more likely to slip, fall or make a mistake with a tool. In hot weather, dehydration also raises the risk of serious heat illness.

The action

Watch for thirst, dark urine, headache, dizziness, tiredness and muscle cramps. Confusion, fainting or strange behavior in the heat can mean a heat emergency. Do not leave that worker alone, and get help right away.

ASK THE CREW

How can we make water breaks part of the job instead of something people skip?

Takeaway: Drink water early and often, keep it clean and close to the work, and speak up when you or a coworker starts showing signs.

From the talk: Hydration. Read it in full, free, with the questions and the sign-in sheet.

HOW TO USE IT

How to give a safety moment

Gather the crew where they work, before the shift or the meeting starts. Read the hazard out loud.
Ask the question and let two or three people answer. What they say about their own work counts for more than what you read.
Name the action and point to one place on today's job where it applies, so everyone knows what to do differently.
Write the date and the names on a sign-in sheet.

A safety moment is short and does not replace the full talk. When you want to go through a topic with the crew, pick a free toolbox talk.

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