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With temperatures steadily increasing and hitting record highs this summer, staying cool can be tough to manage. For those working outside in hot weather, those conditions can pose even more issues.
Stay cool and keep your workforce happy with accessible hydration solutions
We all know that staying hydrated is vital for the health and productivity of workers. As a site owner or construction manager, it’s your responsibility to ensure an adequate supply of drinking water is available onsite.
Creating a workforce hydration plan doesn’t have to be complicated. Simply provide plenty of water and ensure it's consistently replenished. However, with proper planning, you can optimize water distribution for improved safety and cost-effectiveness.
Determining the right amount of water
Start by calculating the number of craft workers and the project duration. Then, consider the OSHA recommendation for workers to drink at least eight ounces of water every 20 minutes in hot conditions. For projects lasting over two hours, it’s also advisable to provide electrolyte-containing beverages like sports drinks alongside cool water.
Understanding the cost of hydration
Many sites fail to accurately assess the costs associated with workforce hydration. It’s important to consider expenses related to delivery, onsite distribution and cleanup. Without a well-thought-out plan and proper management, these “hidden charges” can unnecessarily inflate project costs by up to $1.25 per worker per day. While this might seem insignificant at first, it amounts to an additional expense of $1.1 million throughout a two-year project with an average of 1,500 craft workers. Imagine the savings you could achieve by implementing an effective hydration strategy.
Effective methods of water distribution
There are various ways to provide drinking water on construction sites, each with its advantages and disadvantages. The selection of the right method depends on factors such as project duration, location, scope, craft peak, sustainability, and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) considerations.
Water bottles
The most straightforward approach is to provide water bottles in coolers filled with ice. This method works well for small job sites with a limited number of workers. However, for larger sites, multiple coolers would be needed, which can be labor intensive when it comes to refilling them with water and ice and distributing them throughout the site.
One downside of this method is the waste generated by empty plastic bottles and caps. Including recycling in the site’s workforce hydration and sustainability stations can help to mitigate this problem. Additionally, using water bottles with attached caps can reduce litter.
Refillable water jugs
Stay cool and keep your workforce happy with accessible hydration solutions
Another undemanding option is to distribute ice and water using refillable 10-gallon jugs. While this method is easy to plan and implement, it also requires significant labor. Refilling the jugs across the site can be a full-time job for multiple workers. In addition, the use of paper cups, which tend to accumulate and create constant waste, can pose hygiene concerns. Workers handling the jugs and filling their cups may not always adhere to proper sanitation practices.
Hydration bins
For larger sites, a fully managed program featuring insulated hydration bins can be a more efficient distribution method. These bins can keep water or sports drinks at OSHA standards for over three days, even in extreme heat. They come pre-filled with up to 1,000 eight-ounce bottles submerged in ice and are forklift compatible and mobile, allowing for easy placement near work sites, lunch areas, high-traffic zones and offices. The bins can also be lifted to supply craftworkers on elevated structures, significantly reducing the need for manual lifting and positioning of heavy water jugs and coolers.
By entrusting an external party with daily delivery, sitewide distribution, pickup and restocking of bins, a hydration bin program is undoubtedly efficient and cost effective.
Hydration kiosks
For large-scale job sites, hydration kiosks offer a convenient solution. Coupled with self-contained, mobile water processing units or portable water sources, these kiosks deliver virtually unlimited chilled drinking water directly to work fronts across the job site, eliminating the need for water and ice transportation. A benefit to this is that the water processing units can include safety showers and eyewash stations.
Using reusable drinking containers instead of disposable cups or bottles significantly reduces plastic waste while supporting site ESG and sustainability efforts. This type of hydration program can also be expanded to create a complete “circular hydration economy” for remote locations without access to potable water. By incorporating flushable toilet facilities with onsite sewage collection and municipal-grade waste treatment processing, the resulting effluent water consumption can be recycled for various construction applications. The circular loop reduces water consumption, eliminates the need for daily maintenance of portable chemical toilets, reduces truck traffic to and from the site and increases sanitation and comfort for workers. Only 1% of the residual solid waste remains for offsite removal.
Developing a hydration plan for a project
Providing enough cool and clean water to craft workers is crucial on any construction site. Every site is unique, and sometimes a hybrid approach combining multiple workforce hydration methods is the most practical solution. A fully managed and hassle-free workforce hydration program takes all site factors and project goals into consideration, optimizing efficiency and eliminating hidden costs.
To build a custom workforce hydration plan that fits your project’s needs, visit ameco.com.
