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Related Experiment Videos

Physical work limits for Toronto firefighters in warm environments.

G A Selkirk1, T M McLellan

  • 1Operational Medicine Section, Defence R&D Canada--Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
|June 19, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Firefighter tolerance time (TT) significantly decreases with higher temperatures and metabolic rates when wearing protective gear. Passive recovery may not be enough to lower body temperature in hot environments.

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Active versus passive cooling during work in warm environments while wearing firefighting protective clothing.

Journal of occupational and environmental hygiene·2004

Area of Science:

  • Occupational Health
  • Environmental Physiology
  • Human Factors Engineering

Background:

  • Firefighting protective clothing (FPC) and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) create significant thermal stress.
  • Understanding tolerance time (TT) is crucial for firefighter safety and performance.
  • Environmental temperature and metabolic rate are key factors influencing heat strain.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between environmental temperature, metabolic rate, and tolerance time (TT) in firefighters wearing FPC and SCBA.
  • To determine the impact of different work intensities on heat strain and TT.
  • To evaluate the effectiveness of passive recovery in mitigating heat strain.

Main Methods:

  • Thirty-seven firefighters were divided into four work groups (Heavy, Moderate, Light, Very Light).

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  • Participants performed tasks at three environmental temperatures (25°C, 30°C, 35°C) with 50% relative humidity.
  • Tolerance time (TT), rectal temperature (T(re)), and heart rate were continuously monitored.

    • Main Results:

    • TT significantly decreased as environmental temperature and metabolic rate increased across all work groups.
    • Higher metabolic rates showed greater relative decreases in TT with increasing temperatures.
    • During passive recovery at 35°C, rectal temperature continued to rise, indicating insufficient cooling.

    Conclusions:

    • Environmental temperature and metabolic rate significantly impact firefighter tolerance time (TT) when wearing FPC and SCBA.
    • Work intensity and heat exposure must be carefully managed to prevent heat strain.
    • Passive recovery strategies may be inadequate for complete thermal regulation in hot conditions.