PLH Group Crews Continue to Hydrate Before It’s Too Late

“They asked me how I was doing and I said, ‘Everything hurts.’ My feet were hurting. My eyes, my ears, my head, my neck was hurting. It was like someone ran over me with a car or something. I guess I went into shock and all the muscles in my body contracted. I broke toes. I broke the muscles in my eyelids. I had solid black eyes. My ears heard a constant ringing. I tore and stretched muscles in my jaw.”

That was an excerpt from the courageous retelling of Power Line Services’ Safety Training Manager Kevin Marshall’s near-death story of suffering from severe dehydration while working in the oilfield when he was just 19 years old. He then spent three weeks in a hospital. Anytime the sun hit him over the following month, he would simply pass out. It took three months before he was able to once again go outside and six months before he could return to work. Even then, his journey wasn’t over.

Kevin Marshall’s story not only impacted his health, family, and job, but it also inspired a change in his career path. Now wanting to prevent others from going through similar work-related health and safety injuries like he experienced, Kevin is part of the PLH Group safety team taking time this summer to discuss the importance of hydration.

“Heat-related illnesses are a very real part of working and playing in hot temperatures,” said Safety, Health, and Environmental Vice President Elsie Bentley. “That’s why we are again rolling out a summer safety hydration campaign across all of our business units to ensure that proper hydration is prioritized.”

Though gathering to discuss hydration safety may look different on each job site, the message is the same: Hydrate Before It’s Too Late.

Crews discuss important hydration topics, including:

• What to drink (avoid energy drinks and drinks high in sugar content)
• How much to drink (at least 8 glasses of water per day or one glass of water per 20 pounds of body weight)
• Who is most impacted (those with health issues or have not had recent exposure to hot working conditions)
• Importance of water, rest, and shade
• Symptoms of heat-related illnesses (including Heat Exhaustion, Heat Cramps, and Heat Stroke)

The industry-leading power line and pipeline services of PLH Group and its business units cannot be delivered without first prioritizing the health and safety of everyone throughout the job site. This is a value that PLH Group companies work with year-round and in all environments, especially when temperatures are on the rise.