What You Wear Underneath Your Gear Matters

Area of Science:

• Occupational Safety and Health
• Firefighter Protective Gear Performance
• Thermal Injury Research

Background:

• Firefighter safety is paramount, with protective ensembles governed by National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards (NFPA 1971 and NFPA 1977).
• Current standards do not specify garments worn directly against the skin, despite anecdotal evidence suggesting their impact on burn injuries.
• Limited scientific data exists on how undergarments influence burn injury risk in firefighting scenarios.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of different undergarment materials on burn injury risk during simulated flashover events.
• To assess the influence of synthetic undergarments on firefighter safety in structural and wildland firefighting contexts.
• To provide scientific data correlating manikin sensor readings with potential human burn injuries.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a test manikin equipped with thermal sensors to simulate realistic flashover conditions.
• Outfitted manikins with various undergarment types to evaluate their protective performance.
• Engaged a verified burn center team to analyze manikin damage and correlate it to potential human burn injuries.

Main Results:

• Preliminary findings indicate that undergarment material choice can influence thermal exposure and potential burn injury severity.
• The study highlights concerns regarding the increased use of synthetic undergarments by firefighters.
• Data gathered provides a basis for understanding the thermal protective properties of different base layers.

Conclusions:

• The type of undergarment worn by firefighters may play a critical role in mitigating or exacerbating burn injuries.
• Further research is essential to develop evidence-based recommendations for firefighter undergarments, especially concerning synthetic materials.
• This study underscores the need to consider next-to-skin apparel in comprehensive firefighter protective strategies.