very hot construction worker


Worker Safety

elete electrolytes: When hydration and electrolyte replacement can mean the difference between life and death…or at least serious work performance.

Work Harder, Last Longer, Withstand the Heat

Cope with heat stress, improve performance, productivity and safety with elete Electrolytes.

what electrolytes are

Electrolytes aren’t just for athletes. Workers in a number of specialized areas (agriculture, construction, mining, fire control, oil rig and field workers, factory workers, etc.) who are exposed to hot environments and/or physically demanding conditions can be at significant risk of heat-related injury or even death as a result of high-heat conditions.

Between 1992 to 2006, 423 workers in the United States died from exposure to environmental heat (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (2008). 57(24):  649-53.) Further, other risk factors such as age, the presence of certain pre-existing health conditions such as high blood pressure, whether the worker is taking certain prescription medications (diuretics, antihistamines, antibiotics, diabetes, etc.), workload, etc. can further increase a worker’s risk of heat stress. Having an employee die on the job can cost an employer his business. Employees who are unable to work at optimal levels can mean a loss of competitive advantage for businesses.



Types of Heat Stress

the hot sun

Heat Rash

Involves skin irritation caused by excessive sweating during hot, humid weather. Heat rash presents as red, blister-like lesions usually on the chest, neck, groin, under the breasts, inside elbows, etc.

Heat Cramps

Heat cramps occur when performing physical work in a hot environment. It is caused by a loss of electrolytes from sweating. Muscles need electrolytes including magnesium, sodium, potassium, and chloride—not just sodium. Muscle cramps can be attributed to an imbalance of or deficiency in electrolytes. Replacing salt or sodium chloride is not the “magic bullet” answer for muscle cramps. Cramps can be caused by too little electrolytes, imbalanced electrolytes, and too much sodium. Potassium and magnesium and the primary intracellular cations (positively charged ions) while sodium is the dominant extracellular cation. Magnesium, however, acts as the “team foreman” of electrolytes and helps to keep electrolytes in proper balance within the body. To treat heat cramps, rest the affected muscles, drink electrolyte water made with elete. elete provides nutritionally significant amounts of magnesium. Muscle cramps and spasms will usually strike arms or legs first, but can be a sign of increased risk for cramps or spasms affecting the hardest working muscle in the body, the heart.

Heat Exhaustion

Characterized by headaches, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, extreme sweating, dark-colored urine, pale, clammy skin. Heat exhaustion is the body’s natural response to significant losses of water and electrolytes. Workers are advised to rest in cool, shaded area or an air-conditioned area and hydrate with water or other appropriate beverages. Oftentimes, a person will become confused or extremely irritable. They may or may not be able to answer the following questions: What is your name? Where do you live? Where are you? Often, victims of heat exposure will suddenly collapse or faint. This can be a sign of electrical conductivity problems in the nervous system.

Heat Syncope

A fainting episode or dizziness that occurs upon standing or rising suddenly from a sitting or prone position. Symptoms include light-headedness, dizziness, fainting. Workers should sit or lie in a cool, shaded place as soon as they begin to feel dizzy or lightheaded and should slowly sip water, clear juice, etc.

Heat Stroke

Heat stroke occurs when the body is unable to control its internal temperature. Body temperature increases dramatically, the sweating mechanism is unable to keep up with conditions or fails, and the body is unable to cool itself. The body temperature can rise to 105 to 106 degrees Fahrenheit in a span of 10 to 15 minutes. Many of the symptoms of heat stroke are similar to heat exhaustion. Heat stroke presents with the following symptoms: hot, dry skin, profuse sweating, hallucination, chills, headache, confusion, dizziness, high body temperature. For heat exhaustion and heat stroke, move the person to a cool, shaded location and lay them down. Loosen and remove any restrictive, heavy clothing. Try to cool the person either by fanning him or spraying a cool mist of water or applying cool, wet cloths or ice-packs. Call 911 and notify a supervisor immediately. Have the worker drink small amounts of cool water, preferably water fortified with elete Electrolytes.

Heat tolerance, muscle function, mental function and energy require more than sodium

When replacing electrolytes, most companies focus on the least expensive electrolytes, which also happen to be the most abundant in the typical diet and then say their product supplies electrolytes with the implication that the product is complete.

Electrolytes function as a team in the body. The main team of electrolytes found in body fluids are sodium, potassium, magnesium and chloride. Each electrolyte needs the others to function properly. In medical research, people who had low blood levels of sodium and took sodium tablets without improvement were able to achieve results if the sodium was consumed with magnesium. In similar research, people who had low blood levels of potassium and took potassium supplements without improvement were able to achieve appropriate blood levels of potassium by consuming magnesium with the potassium.

During strenuous exertion, losses of magnesium, an essential electrolyte that is essential to proper muscle and mental function and is the foreman of electrolytes, can measure between 10 and 25% of the daily loss. But unlike sodium and potassium, which are in most sports drinks and are plentiful in the diet, magnesium losses aren’t so easily replaced. Magnesium is typically found in green, leafy vegetables. And, unlike sodium and potassium, acclimatization to poor magnesium status does not occur. elete Electrolyte products contain magnesium to replace losses in sweat and during exertion.



Most sports drinks are laden with sugar and artificial preservatives

that can work against high level hydration and are inappropriate for many in the work force. Most people are surprised to learn that the most popular sports drinks contain approximately 2 cups worth of sugar calories in 1 gallon of beverage. This can taste great if a person is only consuming 32 oz., but if they are trying to stay hydrated over a full work shift and trying to  consume the 32 oz. per hour that OSHA recommends, they would end up drinking 4 cups of sugar.

What happens in real work conditions is that workers start hydrating with sports drinks just fine, but when they have surpassed their tolerance level for sugar they stop hydrating and risk serious injury.


  • Consumers of sports drinks will consume significant amounts of sugar long before they receive adequate amounts of fluid and electrolytes
  • It’s not uncommon for workers to complain of nausea, GI distress while using high sugar hydration products
  • Many workers and athletes complain of gastrointestinal (GI) upset and nausea using sports drinks. Once this occurs, many will be reluctant to continue to drink a sports drinks in order to stay hydrated, prevent dehydration (vicious circle)
  • Nausea and GI distress result in decreased productivity
  • For workers (especially older) who might have specific health considerations (hypertension, diabetes, etc.), sports drinks high in sodium, sugar can be contraindicated by their doctor
  • Over-consumption of energy-dense sports drinks can lead to substantial weight gain in workers
  • Sports drinks (powders) have to be dissolved and mixed according to the manufacturer’s guidelines. Syrups are bulky to haul around, attract pests, and can be messy to clean up. Sticky-sweet drinks with heavy dyes can ruin work materials if spilled
  • Many workers have difficulty affording dental care. Consumption of sports drinks has been linked with accelerated enamel erosion, dental caries, etc. even compared with sodas.

When Safety and Performance Count, Count on elete Electrolytes

When the need to stay hydrated is difficult, elete Electrolyte products provide electrolyte solutions so that workers can continue working without feeling fatigued or light-headed.

how elete electrolytes help workers

Advantages of elete Electrolytes for Workers

  • Natural, healthy hydration (no added sugars, no artificial ingredients)
  • Balanced electrolyte profile (Compare elete’s four electrolytes vs. two electrolytes found in most sports drinks; tablytes contains nine electrolytes)
  • Reduce workers’ risk of heat stress
  • The most cost-effective solution available
  • Flexible sizes offer value and convenience (from the empty pocket flask to the 1 gallon bottle)
  • elete contains magnesium, the “foreman” of electrolytes, essential for energy production, muscle function, electrolyte control
  • When mixed as directed, elete adds minimal flavor to water
  • Very easy to mix and use
  • Clean up is easy. elete will not stain, leave a residue, or contribute to the growth of mold in coolers, hydration packs, canteens, etc.
  • Will not contribute to GI distress
  • elete’s clean and clear taste encourages drinking
  • Safe, Generally Recognize as Safe, a U.S. Food and Drug designation.
  • In a published, peer-reviewed clinical study, those who drank plain water, drank 74% more water to achieve the same level of hydration as those who drank water with Original  elete Electrolyte Add-In
  • Backed by numerous testimonials from athletes (professional and amateur), coaches, trainers, teams, workers, used with great success by military personnel in treating severe cases of heat stress
  • Certified free of all WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency)-banned substances
  • Manufactured at a GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices)-certified company. Certification provided by NSF International
  • Tested for potency and purity at in-house quality assurance laboratory and independent, third-party labs

To learn more about elete Electrolytes and how elete can help you, please refer to the resources below or contact us online e-mail form.



Industrial Brochure for Download

elete Commercial Use Brochure

Heat Exposure Stress and Electrolyte Replenishment with elete Electrolytes

Cost effectively and easily supporting hydration for work safety and performance (White Paper)
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Other Resources

The following links are provided for educational and safety training purposes. In addition to federal safety regulations, state regulations vary. Please check with your state agency for further information. elete Electrolytes are not endorsed by OSHA, the CDC, or other federal or state agencies as those agencies do not endorse any products.

OSHA (Occupational Safet and Health Administration)

OSHA Safety and Health Topics: Heat Stress

OSHA Quick Card: Heat Stress

OSHA Fact Sheet: Protecting Workers from Effects of Heat

OSHA Fact Sheet: Working Outdoors in Warm Climates

National Oceanic &Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) NOAA National Weather Service: Heat: A Major Killer

NOAA: Heat Wave: A National Problem

Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA)

MSHA: Heat Stress: What to Do

United States Department of Agriculture

USDA: Wildland Fire Safety- Heat Stress

U.S. Army

U.S. Army’s Heat Index Calculator

National Ag Safety Database

NASD: Keep Cool

NASD: Dangers of Heat Stress Version en espanol

NASD: Heat Stress Version en espanol