Classification of metabolic and respiratory demands in fire fighting activity with extreme workloads

Fire fighting work comprises work tasks requiring an energy yield at maximal or close to maximal levels of the individual. Due to the very nature of fire fighting more complex physiological variables are difficult to measure. We measured metabolic and respiratory responses in 15 male, professional f...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied ergonomics 2007, Vol.38 (1), p.45-52
Main Authors: Holmér, Ingvar, Gavhed, Désirée
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Applied physiology
Biological and medical sciences
Energy Metabolism - physiology
Engineering and Technology
Ergonomics. Work place. Occupational physiology
Firefighters
Fires
Heart Rate
Human physiology applied to population studies and life conditions. Human ecophysiology
Humans
Male
Maskinteknik
Mechanical Engineering
Medical sciences
Medicin och hälsovetenskap
Metabolic rate
Metabolism
Minute ventilation
Occupational Health
Oxygen
Oxygen Consumption
Physical Exertion - physiology
Physical work
Production Engineering, Human Work Science and Ergonomics
Produktionsteknik, arbetsvetenskap och ergonomi
Pulmonary Ventilation
Respiratory Physiological Phenomena
Task Performance and Analysis
Teknik
Ventilation
Workload - classification
Workloads
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Summary:Fire fighting work comprises work tasks requiring an energy yield at maximal or close to maximal levels of the individual. Due to the very nature of fire fighting more complex physiological variables are difficult to measure. We measured metabolic and respiratory responses in 15 male, professional fire fighters during simulated work tasks on a test ground. Work time was on the average 22 min with individual components of work tasks lasting 2–4 min. The mean oxygen consumption for the whole exercise (22 min) was 2.75±0.29 l/min. The most demanding work task demanded an oxygen uptake of 3.55±0.27 l/min. Corresponding values for respiratory minute volumes were 82±14 and 102±14 l/min, respectively. Heart rates averaged 168±12 for the whole test and 179±13 beats/min for the heaviest work task. Two new classes for classification of intensive and exhausting, short term physical work are proposed for inclusion in ISO8996 and values for relevant parameters are proposed.
ISSN:0003-6870
1872-9126
1872-9126
DOI:10.1016/j.apergo.2006.01.004