The European, Japanese and US protective helmet, gloves and boots for firefighters: thermoregulatory and psychological evaluations

• Published in: Ergonomics 2014, Vol.57 (8), p.1213-1221
• Main Authors: Lee, Joo-Young, Yamamoto, Yota, Oe, Riichi, Son, Su-Young, Wakabayashi, Hitoshi, Tochihara, Yutaka
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Body Temperature Regulation; Boots; Equipment Design; Ergonomics; Ergonomics. Human factors; Europe; Exercise Test; firefighter; Firefighters; Firefighters - psychology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gloves; Gloves, Protective - standards; Head Protective Devices - standards; Heart Rate; Helmets; Humans; Humidity; Japan; Male; Occupational psychology; Oxygen Consumption; Perception; protective boots; Protective clothing; protective gloves; protective helmet; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Reduction; Shoes - standards; Skin Temperature; Space life sciences; Sweating; Temperature; thermoregulation; United States
• ISSN: 0014-0139; 1366-5847
• DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2014.914578

The purpose of this study was to investigate the physiological and subjective responses of the European, Japanese (JPN) and US firefighters' helmet, gloves and boots for international standardisation. Three experimental conditions were evaluated (clothing mass: 9.4, 8.2 and 10.1 kg for the three conditions, respectively) at the air temperature of 32°C and 60% relative humidity. The results showed that there was no significant difference among the three conditions in oxygen consumption, heart rate, total sweat rate, rectal temperature and mean skin temperature, whereas peripheral temperatures and subjective perceptions were lower in the JPN condition than in the other conditions (P