Load Carriage: An Integrated Risk Management Approach.

Area of Science:

• Military Science
• Occupational Health
• Human Factors Engineering

Background:

• Military load carriage (LC) presents considerable risks to soldier health, tactical performance, and mission success.
• Previous research by the authors has generated a series of reports on LC risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize key findings from prior LC research reports.
• To provide a consolidated understanding of risks and potential mitigation strategies in military load carriage.

Main Methods:

• Systematic extraction and synthesis of findings from five reviews and six studies.
• Tabulated and critical narrative presentation of extracted key findings.

Main Results:

• Load weight is a primary risk factor for soldier injuries and impaired tactical task performance.
• Risk levels are modulated by factors such as march speed, terrain, task type/duration, administrative controls, and physical conditioning.
• In the Australian military context, risk controls were found to be insufficient, with soldiers exceeding mandated load weights and inadequate conditioning.

Conclusions:

• Military load carriage risks are variable and context-dependent, necessitating case-by-case risk assessment.
• Potential risk treatments include managing load weight, marching parameters, and improving administrative controls and soldier physical conditioning.
• Implementing dedicated LC doctrine, policies, and best-practice conditioning programs is essential for effective risk management.