2007, Piran, Slovenia

Environmental Ergonomics XII
Igor B. Mekjavic, Stelios N. Kounalakis & Nigel A.S. Taylor (Eds.), © BIOMED, Ljubljana 2007
EFFECTS OF PRESSURE, GLOVES AND COLD ON HAND SKIN
TEMPERATURE AND MANUAL PERFORMANCE OF DIVERS
Joanna Zander and James Morrison,
Environmental Physiology Unit, Simon Fraser University, BC, Canada
Contact person: jmorriso@sfu.ca
INTRODUCTION
Exposure to cold and the use of protective gloves are associated with decreased
manual performance capabilities. Three-fingered neoprene gloves slow hand cooling
and preserve hand function; however, there is little information on whether neoprene
gloves provide sufficient insulation to maintain hand skin temperature when diving in
cold water.
Hand skin temperature is an important predictor of manual performance. Fox (1967)
suggested that tactile sensitivity is degraded below a critical hand skin temperature of
12-16°C and that manual dexterity is degraded below a critical temperature of 8°C.
Vincent and Tipton (1988) reported a decrease in finger dexterity below a skin
temperature of 20-22° C, becoming significant below 15-16°C
METHODS
Nine male divers between 20 to 40 years completed the experiment. Four
environmental conditions were selected to identify the effects of cold, pressure and
exposure time on hand skin temperature and on manual performance of divers
wearing three-fingered Rubatex ® G-231-N neoprene gloves (Table 1). All
conditions were completed in the wet section of a hyperbaric chamber at Simon Fraser
University (altitude 360 m). Divers were seated at a table while immersed to the neck
in water and wearing a dry suit. Skin temperatures (thumb, index finger, back of
hand, forearm, chest and head) were measured using copper-constantan
thermocouples.
Table 1: Experimental Conditions
Condition Water Temperature Pressure Gloves Exposure time
1 25°C 0.4 msw Yes 4 min.
2 25°C 40 msw Yes 4 min.
3 4°C 0.4 msw Yes 4, 11, and 18 min.
4 4°C 40 msw Yes 4, 11, and 18 min.
Each diver completed three manual performance tests that were designed to measure
grip strength, tactile sensitivity, and manual dexterity. The test series took 7 minutes
and are described in detail in Morrison and Zander, 2005. In the cold conditions, the
tests were repeated commencing at 4, 11 and 18 minutes of exposure. Observations
were made at depths of 0.4 metres of seawater (msw) (101 kPa altitude adjusted) and
40 msw (497 kPa). Data were analysed to determine hand skin temperatures as a
function of exposure time when wearing neoprene gloves in 4°C water, and to
quantify manual performance abilities a function of finger temperature while wearing
neoprene gloves. Manual performance scores were compared using ANOVA to
identify differences associated with exposure to cold water and increased pressure.
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