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Kuklane K, Eggeling J, Kemmeren M, Heus R. Local effects of printed logos and reflective striping fixed to firefighter clothing material packages under low radiation exposure. INDUSTRIAL HEALTH 2023; 61:357-367. [PMID: 36171107 PMCID: PMC10542473 DOI: 10.2486/indhealth.2022-0126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Notifications that related 1st degree burns to reflective striping and impermeable clothing elements did reach the investigators, while the mechanisms behind this phenomenon are still unclear. Material tests for thermal and evaporative resistance, and for heat transmission under dry and wet conditions at low radiation levels were done to evaluate the performance of protective clothing with and without printed logos or reflective striping. The results under the specified conditions showed reduction of heat loss capacity under impermeable elements from dry to wet conditions. Reflective surfaces, even when more impermeable, showed still lower heat transmission through the textile package than materials without striping under tested moisture and radiation combinations. It can be expected that the reported 1st degree burns were related to clothing design and tightness/fit rather than to reflective striping. However, due to the fine balance between clothing thermal and evaporative resistance, outer material emissivity, moisture quantity and location in clothing and applied radiation level, a different setup could lead to different results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalev Kuklane
- NACB, Netherland Institute for Public Safety (NIPV), The Netherlands
| | | | - Maurice Kemmeren
- COLS, Netherland Institute for Public Safety (NIPV), The Netherlands
| | - Ronald Heus
- NACB, Netherland Institute for Public Safety (NIPV), The Netherlands
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Périard JD, Wilson MG, Tebeck ST, Gilmore JB, Stanley J, Girard O. Influence of the Thermal Environment on Work Rate and Physiological Strain during a UCI World Tour Multistage Cycling Race. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2023; 55:32-45. [PMID: 35975926 DOI: 10.1249/mss.0000000000003028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to characterize the thermal and cardiovascular strain of professional cyclists during the 2019 Tour Down Under and determine the associations between thermal indices and power output, and physiological strain. METHODS Gastrointestinal temperature ( Tgi ), heart rate (HR), and power output were recorded during the six stages (129-151.5 km) of the Tour Down Under in ≤22 male participants. Thermal indices included dry-bulb, black-globe, wet-bulb, and wet-bulb-globe (WBGT) temperature; relative humidity (RH), Heat Index; Humidex; and universal thermal climate index. The heat stress index (HSI), which reflects human heat strain, was also calculated. RESULTS Dry-bulb temperature was 23°C-37°C, and RH was 18%-72% (WBGT: 21°C-29°C). Mean Tgi was 38.2°C-38.5°C, and mean peak Tgi was 38.9°C-39.4°C, both highest values recorded during stage 3 (WBGT: 27°C). Peak individual Tgi was ≥40.0°C in three stages and ≥39.5°C in 14%-33% of cyclists in five stages. Mean HR was 131-147 bpm (68%-77% of peak), with the highest mean recorded in stage 3 ( P ≤ 0.005). Mean power output was 180-249 W, with the highest mean recorded during stage 4 ( P < 0.001; 21°C WBGT). The thermal indices most strongly correlated with power output were black-globe temperature ( r = -0.778), RH ( r = 0.768), universal thermal climate index ( r = -0.762), and WBGT ( r = -0.745; all P < 0.001). Mean Tgi was correlated with wet-bulb temperature ( r = 0.495), HSI ( r = 0.464), and Humidex ( r = 0.314; all P < 0.05), whereas mean HR was most strongly correlated with HSI ( r = 0.720), along with Tgi ( r = 0.599) and power output ( r = 0.539; all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Peak Tgi reached 40.0°C in some cyclists, although most remained <39.5°C with an HR of ~73% of peak. Power output was correlated with several thermal indices, primarily influenced by temperature, whereas Tgi and HR were associated with the HSI, which has potential for sport-specific heat policy development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien D Périard
- Research Institute for Sport and Exercise, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, AUSTRALIA
| | | | | | | | | | - Olivier Girard
- School of Human Sciences (Exercise and Sport Science), University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, AUSTRALIA
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Kuklane K, Eggeling J, Kemmeren M, Heus R. A Database of Static Thermal Insulation and Evaporative Resistance Values of Dutch Firefighter Clothing Items and Ensembles. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11121813. [PMID: 36552322 PMCID: PMC9775573 DOI: 10.3390/biology11121813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The rescue operations' environment can impair firefighters' performance and increase the risk of injuries, e.g., burns and hyperthermia. The bulk and carried weight of heavy protection contributes to lower physical performance, higher metabolic load and internal body heat production. For recommending optimal protection for the tasks and incident scenarios, knowledge of clothing thermal properties is needed. However, detailed data on firefighter protective clothing systems are not available. The aim of the study was to provide scientific background and a dataset that would allow for validation of thermo-physiological models for task-specific conditions of rescue work. Thermal insulation of 37 single items and their variations and 25 realistic protective clothing ensembles were measured on a thermal manikin. Twelve (12) ensembles that evenly covered the whole insulation range were selected for evaporative resistance testing. The equations for summing up individual item's insulation to ensemble insulation and calculating clothing area factor were derived from the dataset. The database of a firefighter clothing system was created. In addition, the local and regional thermal properties of the clothing ensembles were provided for use in future validation of advanced thermo-physiological models for rescue worker exposure predictions and for designing decision aid tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalev Kuklane
- Team Fire Service Science, Netherlands Academy of Crisis Management and Fire Service Science, Netherlands Institute for Public Safety, Zilverstraat 91, 2718 RP Zoetermeer, The Netherlands
| | - Jakob Eggeling
- Division of Ergonomics and Aerosol Technology, Department of Design Sciences, Lund University, Box 118, 22100 Lund, Sweden
| | - Maurice Kemmeren
- Team COLS, Netherlands Institute for Public Safety, Zilverstraat 91, 2718 RP Zoetermeer, The Netherlands
| | - Ronald Heus
- Team Fire Service Science, Netherlands Academy of Crisis Management and Fire Service Science, Netherlands Institute for Public Safety, Zilverstraat 91, 2718 RP Zoetermeer, The Netherlands
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Del Ferraro S, Falcone T, Morabito M, Messeri A, Bonafede M, Marinaccio A, Gao C, Molinaro V. A potential wearable solution for preventing heat strain in workplaces: The cooling effect and the total evaporative resistance of a ventilation jacket. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 212:113475. [PMID: 35588774 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
The increase in average seasonal temperatures has an impact in the occupational field, especially for those sectors whose work activities are performed outdoors (agricultural, road and construction sectors). Among the adaptation measures and solutions developed to counteract occupational heat strain, personal cooling garments represent a wearable technology designed to remove heat from the human body, enhancing human performance. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness and the cooling power of a specific cooling garment, i.e. a ventilation jacket, by quantifying the evaporative heat losses and the total evaporative resistance both when worn alone and in combination with a work ensemble, at three adjustments of air ventilation speed. Standardised "wet" tests in a climatic chamber were performed on a sweating manikin in isothermal conditions considering three clothing ensembles (single jacket, work ensemble and a combination of both) and three adjustments of fan velocity. Results showed a significant increase (p < 0.001) in evaporative heat loss values when the fan velocity increased, particularly within the trunk zones for all the considered clothing ensembles, showing that fans enhanced the dissipation by evaporation. The cooling power, quantified in terms of percent changes of evaporative heat loss, showed values exceeding 100% when fans were on, in respect to the condition of fans-off, for the trunk zones except for the Chest. A significant (p < 0.01) decrease (up to 42.3%) in the total evaporative resistance values of the jacket, coupled with the work ensemble, was found compared to the fans-off condition. Results confirmed and quantified the cooling effect of the ventilation jacket which enhanced the evaporative heat losses of the trunk zones, helping the body to dissipate heat and showing the potential for a heat adaptation measure to be developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Del Ferraro
- INAIL, Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Laboratory of Ergonomics and Physiology, Via Fontana Candida 1, 00078, Monte Porzio Catone, Rome, Italy.
| | - Tiziana Falcone
- INAIL, Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Laboratory of Ergonomics and Physiology, Via Fontana Candida 1, 00078, Monte Porzio Catone, Rome, Italy; Unit of Advanced Robotics and Human-Centred Technologies, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
| | - Marco Morabito
- Institute of BioEconomy (IBE), National Research Council, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy; Centre of Bioclimatology, University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine 18, 50144, Florence, Italy.
| | - Alessandro Messeri
- Tuscany Region, LaMMA Consortium - Weather Forecaster and Researcher at Laboratory of Monitoring and Environmental Modelling for Sustainable Development, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy; Fondazione per il Clima e la Sostenibilità, Via G.Caproni 8, 50145, Florence, Italy.
| | - Michela Bonafede
- INAIL, Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Laboratory of Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology, Via Stefano Gradi 55, 00143, Rome, Italy.
| | - Alessandro Marinaccio
- INAIL, Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Laboratory of Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology, Via Stefano Gradi 55, 00143, Rome, Italy.
| | - Chuansi Gao
- Thermal Environment Laboratory, Division of Ergonomics and Aerosol Technology, Department of Design Sciences, Faculty of Engineering, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
| | - Vincenzo Molinaro
- INAIL, Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Laboratory of Ergonomics and Physiology, Via Fontana Candida 1, 00078, Monte Porzio Catone, Rome, Italy.
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Yang J, Zhang X, Koh JJ, Deng R, Kumarasamy S, Xu YX, Qu H, Zhang S, Zhang Y, Tan SC. Reversible Hydration Composite Films for Evaporative Perspiration Control and Heat Stress Management. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2107636. [PMID: 35187798 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202107636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Donning of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the healthcare sector has been intensified by the on-going COVID-19 pandemic around the globe. While extensive PPE provides protection, it typically limits moisture permeability and severely hinders the sweat evaporation process, resulting in greater heat stress on the personnel. Herein, a zinc-poly(vinyl alcohol) (Zn-PVA) composite film is fabricated by embedding a super-hygroscopic zinc-ethanolamine complex (Zn-complex) in the PVA matrix. By attaching the Zn-PVA composite film, the relative humidity (RH) inside the protective suit decreases from 91.0% to 48.2%. The reduced RH level, in turn, enhances evaporative cooling, hence bringing down the heat index from 64.6 to 40.0 °C at an air temperature of 35 °C, remarkably lowering the likelihood of heat stroke. The American Society for Testing and Materials tests conducted on a sweating manikin have also proven that the Zn-PVA composite films can significantly reduce the evaporative resistance of the protective suit by 90%. The low material cost, facile fabrication process, and reusability allow the Zn-PVA composition films to be readily available for healthcare workers worldwide. This application can be further extended to other occupations that are facing severe thermal discomfort and heat stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiachen Yang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore, 9 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore, 117575, Singapore
| | - Xueping Zhang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore, 9 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore, 117575, Singapore
- Key Laboratory of Textile Science & Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China
| | - J Justin Koh
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore, 9 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore, 117575, Singapore
| | - Rensheng Deng
- Home Team Science and Technology Agency, 1 Stars Avenue, Singapore, 138507, Singapore
| | - Saravana Kumarasamy
- Home Team Science and Technology Agency, 1 Stars Avenue, Singapore, 138507, Singapore
| | - Yuan Xing Xu
- Home Team Science and Technology Agency, 1 Stars Avenue, Singapore, 138507, Singapore
| | - Hao Qu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore, 9 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore, 117575, Singapore
| | - Songlin Zhang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore, 9 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore, 117575, Singapore
| | - Yaoxin Zhang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore, 9 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore, 117575, Singapore
| | - Swee Ching Tan
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore, 9 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore, 117575, Singapore
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Ifa S, Driss Z. Numerical simulation and experimental validation of the ventilation system performance in a heated room. AIR QUALITY, ATMOSPHERE, & HEALTH 2020; 14:171-179. [PMID: 32922561 PMCID: PMC7473412 DOI: 10.1007/s11869-020-00923-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The time spent by the occupant indoor the building is significant; therefore, the central objective of the major research was the evaluation of the thermal sensation for the existing people. This study examines the numerical simulation in a room containing a manikin sitting in front of a computer. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools were considered using ANSYS Fluent 16.2 software. This software exploits the finite volume method that is based on the resolution of the Navier-Stokes equations. The distribution of the temperature, velocity, static pressure, turbulent kinetic energy, turbulent viscosity, and turbulent dissipation is tested in different planes and different directions to characterize the airflow indoor a heated room. Equally, the thermal comfort is examined by calculating the predicted mean vote (PMV). The comparison between the numerical results and the experimental data founded from the literature prove that the supply of airflow was affected by the presence of the heat sources and the thermal climate is considered as a slightly hot. The use of the adequate meshes is in a good agreement with the experimental data and confirms the validity of the numerical approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sondes Ifa
- Laboratory of Electro-Mechanic Systems (LASEM), National School of Engineers of Sfax (ENIS), Univrsity of Sfax, B.P. 1173, km 3.5 Soukra, 3038 Sfax, Tunisia
| | - Zied Driss
- Laboratory of Electro-Mechanic Systems (LASEM), National School of Engineers of Sfax (ENIS), Univrsity of Sfax, B.P. 1173, km 3.5 Soukra, 3038 Sfax, Tunisia
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Sawada SI, Kuklane K, Wakatsuki K, Morikawa H. New development of research on personal protective equipment (PPE) for occupational safety and health. INDUSTRIAL HEALTH 2017; 55:471-472. [PMID: 29212988 PMCID: PMC5718767 DOI: 10.2486/indhealth.55-471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
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