The JMAR blog
Heat rules, heat illness and hydration for crews, Texas jobsite posts, and news from JMAR.
20 posts
- Is OSHA's Heat Rule Dead? Status as of November 2026As of November 5, 2026, OSHA's heat rule is a proposed rule, not a final one, and OSHA has not withdrawn it. On Oct. 28, OSHA's assistant secretary said the rulemaking remains active and that there is a path forward. Employers should keep following water, rest, and shade.Nov 4, 2026
- Cold Work, Hidden Dehydration: A Winter Hydration CheckCrews can get dehydrated in the cold. A 2025 review of worker hydration lists cold-induced diuresis, lost water in breath, heavy clothing, and a weaker thirst sense as causes. NIOSH tells employers to provide warm liquids and warm break areas. Check hydration on cold days, not just hot ones.Nov 2, 2026
- 3 Early Signs of Heat Illness Crews Often MissThree early signs crews miss are dark or low urine, headache with irritability, and muscle cramps. NIOSH lists decreased urine output, headache, and irritability as heat exhaustion symptoms, and tea or cola-colored urine as a sign of rhabdomyolysis. Act on these signs early. Heat stroke is a 911 emergency.Oct 30, 2026
- How to Set Up a Jobsite Cool-Down Area (Water, Rest, Shade)A cool-down area gives crews water, rest, and shade in one place near the work. OSHA says water should be cool and easy to reach, breaks should grow longer as heat stress rises, and shade can be a tent, a building, or an air-conditioned vehicle. Set it up before the shift starts.Oct 27, 2026
- Acclimatizing New Hires for a Texas Summer StartNew workers should do 20 percent of a normal heat shift on day one, then add 20 percent each day. OSHA and NIOSH recommend this rule of 20 percent. Experienced workers new to a site start at 50 percent. Almost half of heat-related deaths happen on a worker's first day.Oct 23, 2026
- DFW Construction Heat Plan Month by Month for CrewsIn Dallas-Fort Worth, normal highs climb from 76.1F in April to 95.8F in August, and the average year brings 20.2 days at 100F or more. Build your heat plan around that curve: start light in spring, peak controls in July and August, and keep them through September.Oct 20, 2026
- Houston Humidity: Why 96F Feels Like 121F on a JobsiteHumidity slows sweat evaporation, so Houston heat feels hotter than the thermometer says. The National Weather Service gives an example: 96F at 65% humidity feels like 121F. NWS Houston/Galveston issues a heat advisory at a heat index of 108F, so crews should plan around heat index, not air temperature.Oct 16, 2026
- Austin and Dallas Water-Break Rules Ended: A Crew Rule That WorksAustin passed a construction water-break rule in 2010 and Dallas in 2015. Both required 10-minute breaks every four hours. Texas HB 2127 voided them. Federal OSHA still enforces heat hazards, so a written crew rule, set by heat level, now does the job the city rules once did.Oct 12, 2026
- Texas Heat Rules After HB 2127: What Employers Still OweHB 2127 ended local water-break rules in Austin and Dallas, but it did not end heat duties. As of November 2026, OSHA still enforces heat hazards in Texas under the General Duty Clause and its Heat National Emphasis Program. Texas has no state heat standard, and the federal heat rule is only proposed.Oct 8, 2026
- OSHA's 2026 Heat Emphasis Program: What It Means for YouOSHA revised its Heat National Emphasis Program on April 10, 2026. It directs inspections to 55 high-risk industries, adds random inspections on days with an NWS heat advisory or warning, and runs five years. The program guides inspections. It is not a heat standard.Oct 6, 2026
- Don’t Sweat It, They Said, Just Drink More Water-Pat Walsh and Jennifer MartinezJennifer Martinez joins Pat Welsh on The Warrior Servant Leader Podcast to talk about why water alone may not restore what heat, stress and long shifts take.Aug 21, 2026
- Jennifer Martinez on The Jeff Crilley Show: Bridging the Gap Between Heat Stress Awareness and Real-Time RestorationOn The Jeff Crilley Show, JMAR founder Jennifer Martinez explains the missing gap in heat-stress plans: real-time restoration for crews in the field.Apr 22, 2026
- Why Water Is Not Enough: If water is the answer to dehydration, why is the problem getting worse every year?If water is the answer to dehydration, why is the problem getting worse? JMAR explains why sweat takes minerals that water alone does not replace.Nov 14, 2025
- Rapid Restoration Drops: Built for Fuel, Not FlavorPopular electrolyte beverages sabotage worker performance with toxic dyes. Only JMAR Solutions provides real rapid rehydration for industrial crews.Aug 24, 2025
- Rapid Restoration Drops: Real-Time Support Without the MixingLiquid electrolyte concentrates outperform powder packets in emergencies. Replenish sodium & potassium instantly.Aug 24, 2025
- How Liquid Electrolyte Drops Transform Workforce PerformanceWorkers gain 27% productivity with electrolyte drops, beyond sports drinks to true mineral replenishment for peak performance.Aug 20, 2025
- The Shocking Truth: Why Water Intake Alone Fails to Keep Workers Safe and How to Maintain Proper Hydration in the WorkplaceThe shocking truth about workplace hydration: why water intake without minerals leaves workers dehydrated and at risk.Aug 13, 2025
- Maximize ROI and Health with Rapid Rehydration DropsHow dehydration and heat illness cost construction crews time and money, and how JMAR says Rapid Rehydration Drops help protect workers and budgets.Feb 20, 2025
- Jmar Solutions best uses and quick tipsSuggested uses and quick tips for Rapid Rehydration Drops from JMAR Solutions: add a squirt to any drink, hot or cold, before, during and after work.Dec 15, 2022
- Winter Hydration Tips / Rapid Rehydration DropsWinter hydration tips from JMAR Solutions: why crews still lose fluids and minerals in cold weather, and simple ways to keep drinking through the season.Nov 15, 2022
See it on your crew in 15 minutes
Jennifer walks your safety team through the drops, the protocol and the numbers on a short live call.