Thermal Strain in Fire Fighters While Wearing Task-Fitted Versus EN 469:2005 Protective Clothing During a Prolonged Rescue Drill

Fire fighters are normally overprotected during their working hours because of the tendency to keep the personal protection level sufficiently high in case of the worst possible scenarios. This study investigated the effects of task-fitted protective clothing on thermal strain in fire fighters as co...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of occupational safety and ergonomics 2008-01, Vol.14 (1), p.7-18
Main Authors: Ilmarinen, Raija, Mäkinen, Helena, Lindholm, Harri, Punakallio, Anne, Kervinen, Heikki
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Body Temperature - physiology
cardiovascular strain
fire fighter
Fires
Heart Rate - physiology
heart rate variability
Heat Stress Disorders - physiopathology
Heat Stress Disorders - prevention & control
Hot Temperature
Humans
job-related rescue drill
Male
Physical Exertion - physiology
Protective Clothing
Rescue Work
Skin Temperature - physiology
thermal strain
vagal recovery
Water-Electrolyte Balance - physiology
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Fire fighters are normally overprotected during their working hours because of the tendency to keep the personal protection level sufficiently high in case of the worst possible scenarios. This study investigated the effects of task-fitted protective clothing on thermal strain in fire fighters as compared to EN 469:2005 protective clothing during a prolonged (2 1/2 hrs) job-related rescue drill under neutral and hot climates. The subjects were 23 healthy, physically fit professional male fire fighters aged 26-44 years. Measurements included cardiovascular and thermal responses and subjective assessments. Wearing task-fitted clothing during rescue tasks in a neutral climate considerably reduced total thermal and cardiovascular strain in prolonged rescue work. The fire fighters also perceived physical work as significantly harder on average, and reported more intense subjective discomfort while wearing EN 469:2005 as compared to task-fitted clothing.
ISSN:1080-3548
2376-9130
DOI:10.1080/10803548.2008.11076744