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Word of the Week is Water
Word of the Week for November 22nd, 2021, is Water
Do you remember the rule of threes?
Three days without water can kill you.
During my tenure as a Senior Drill Sergeant I was charged as all Drill Sergeants are with the safety, health and welfare of the young men and women placed in our charge.
During their time with us these individuals are placed in situations that will tax their physical, mental, and emotional core beyond anything they have ever witnessed in their lives, with few exceptions.
These individuals were placed in situations that if not managed judiciously, could cause serious injury and death. In this environment there are no accidents. Only failures to act accordingly.
One of the most serious and preventable injuries we are faced with are HEAT ILLNESSES. Heat illness falls under three headings
HEAT EXHAUSTION
HEAT STROKE
HYPONATREMIA “Water Intoxication”
Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke are the two most common manageable injuries. Hyponatremia is a byproduct of over hydrating and can be mistaken for Heat Stroke.
Don’t be the person that places your family and loved ones at risk because you don’t have time to keep hydrated.
A good resource to start with;
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/heat-stroke-symptoms-and-treatment
Water is water. It is not Coffee, Soda, Red Bull, Amped, Beer, Wine, Ices Tea or anything else with an H20 base and additives. Make a list of everything you drink daily that is not water (H20). You will probably learn that you are not drinking enough water.
Depending on your source of information ½ to One gallon of water a day is the recommended quantity.
Traditionally the concept having a supply of drinking water revolved around supply chain issues and system shutdowns because of natural disasters and emergencies. These are no longer the only reasons to store additional water for your household.
Maintaining a minimum two-week supply of drinking water for each person in the home is easy. It is 14 gallons of water per-person. Don’t forget your pets.
Water can be ordered in six-gallon cases and is easily stacked.
How long does water stay good in the jug?
Water does not expire. The main problem may be cross-contamination. Plastic food containers are porous and can allow external chemicals to seep in.
“IBWA advises consumers to store bottled water at room temperature or cooler, out of direct sunlight and away from solvents and chemicals such as gasoline, paint thinners, household cleaners, and dry-cleaning chemicals.”
https://www.bottledwater.org/education/bottled-water-storage.
Risk factors with your 1-gallon jugs:
They are flimsy, unable to withstand crushing pressure and are known to leak.
1-gallon jug of water weighs 8 pounds.
Large amounts of water are unwieldy, hard to move, and can create a risk of their own because of the weight. If you let your water sit too long, the manufacturer’s jugs may fail and start leaking into your storage area, creating alternative hazards such as mold and structural damage.
Steel shelving, sturdy bookcases, sealed plastic storage bins are used successfully to store gallon jugs of water. Do not attempt to stack individual gallon jugs on top of each other because you risk catastrophic failure.
Till next time
“Be Safe”
P.S. remember to get your free copy of the Holiday House Fire Safety eBook here.
