How to Maintain Safe Hydration Stations

Hydration Station Checklist

If workers aren’t properly hydrated it can pose serious risks to their safety on site.  Dehydration symptoms can range from fatigue, nausea, poor concentration and light headedness which, when operating heavy machinery or handling hazardous substances, can increase the number of site injuries.

Every site needs to allocate an area, or a number of areas, dedicated to hydrating workers.  These hydration stations are a place where workers can rest in the shade and access clean cold water as well as other cooling items such as electrolytes, sunscreen, cooling vests and cooling towels to help them hydrate.

Here’s our checklist to ensure your hydration station is hygienic and safe for your team:

WATER DISPENSER STATION

Piping systems
Check regularly for cleanliness. It can be sanitized with a minor chlorine solution (2 teaspoons of bleach per 3.7 litres) & then thoroughly rinsed out with water a few times.

Faucets
Use a cooler that has a gravity flow faucet that will dispense water as needed. Cleaned with the above chlorine solution.

Filters
Check and change regularly

Disposable cups
Containers housing disposable cups need to be clean, and a bin should be provided for the correct disposal of the cups.  To avoid the spread of disease, discourage cup sharing and drinking from the faucet.

Water dispensers
The top of water dispensers must be kept tightly closed tightly to prevent workers opening the top to dip water or ice from the cooler.

Wash stations
Water stations should never be used as was station and should be kept separate to wash stations

PORTABLE CONTAINERS

Lids
Containers should come with lids that can be tightly closed to avoid dust particles entering the water & being consumed.

Material
Use corrosion resistant containers

Clean
Containers must be cleaned and sanitized daily. Use a detergent and rinse it out with water, repeat this process three times.