Effects of cooling garments on firefighters' thermal responses under high temperature

doi:10.16265/j.cnki.issn1003-3033.2020.04.026

Abstract

Abstract: In order to reduce firefighters' heat stress and improve fire rescue efficiency, effects of cooling garments on thermoregulation of firefighters were investigated. Three categories of garments were set under high temperature (35 ℃), including basic clothing (short sleeves and shorts), protective clothing (basic clothing and protective clothing), andcooling garmments (basic clothing, protective clothing and cooling garmments), and typical thermal responses of participants during exercise and rest phases were measured for these cases respectively. The results show that protective clothing, compared to basic one, leads to a significant increase in skin temperature, core temperature, heart rate and sweating rate, and a decline in sweat evaporation rate. Cooling garmments can effectively attenuate above-mentioned increases, and also further reduce sweat evaporation rate. Their cooling effects decrease over time and almost disappear after 40 minutes of work, or they may even increase thermal and physiological burden of firefighters

Key words: firefighter, protective clothing, cooling garment, thermal comfort, thermal response

CLC Number:

X968

TIAN Shuicheng, ZHOU Runkang, YANG Jie. Effects of cooling garments on firefighters' thermal responses under high temperature[J]. China Safety Science Journal, 2020, 30(4): 166-171.

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