2007, Piran, Slovenia

39.0
38.5
38.0
37.5
37.0
36.5
40.0
39.5
39.0
38.5
38.0
37.5
37.0
36.5
B1 B2 8.30 11.30 25.00 28.00 41.30 44.30 58.00 66.00 POST
Time
(min)
B1 B2 8.30 11.30 25.00 28.00 41.30 44.30 58.00 66.00 POST
Time
(min)
Personal protective equipment
Figure 3: Group (A; n=4) and individual (B; expert subject) core and mean skin
temperatures. Error bars are omitted for clarity.
DISCUSSION
This small scale investigation has demonstrated a dramatic increase in physiological strain
when undertaking activities in an EOD suit. Physiological benefits of cooling ambient air, via
a dry ice based device, prior its circulation within an EOD suit combined with wearing a
lighter weight trouser designed to optimise thermal comfort and mobility was demonstrated in
hot conditions. Further studies to address the relationship between thermal variables and
perceived thermal strain are warranted. Methodological aspects that require further
development include the standardisation of work rate and hence metabolic heat load during
‘manual handling’ and ‘search and crawl’ activities; and increased sensitivity of
psychological assessments.
REFERENCES
Borg, G., 1970. Perceived exertion as an indicator of somatic stress. Scandavian J of Rehab
Med 2-3, 92-98.
Cheung, S. S., McLellan, T. M. and Tenaglia, S., 2000. The Thermophysiology of
Uncompensable Heat Stress. Physiological Manipulations and Individual
Characteristics. Sports Med. 29, 329-359.
Hanson, M. A., 1999. Development of a Draft British Standard: the Assessment of Heat
Strain for Workers Wearing Personal Protective Equipment. Annals of Occupational
Hygiene 43, 309-319.
Ramanathan, N. L., 1964. A new weighting system for mean surface temperature of the
human body. J App. Physiol. 19, 531-533.
Roach, R. C., Bärtsch, P., Hackett, P. H., and Oelz, O., 1993. The Lake Louise acute
mountain sickness scoring system. In: Hypoxia and Mountain Medicine. J.R.Sutton,
C.S.Houston, and G.Coates, eds. Queen City Printers, Burlington, VT. pp. 272-274.
39.0
38.0
37.0
36.0
35.0
34.0
33.0
32.0
39.0
38.0
37.0
36.0
35.0
34.0
33.0
32.0
B1 B2 8.30 11.30 25.00 28.00 41.30 44.30 58.00 66.00 POST
Time
(min)
B1 B2 8.30 11.30 25.00 28.00 41.30 44.30 58.00 66.00 POST
Time
(min)
231