BIO

Hi! My name is Allison Barnes and I am a sophomore studying athletic training on the pre-pt track.

Thermal Manikin Comfort Assessment of Lightweight PPE for Structural Firefighters

Abstract

Heat exhaustion and heat-related illness is a common issue that firefighters experience, due to the strenuous nature of their job. This study evaluates the structure of their personal protective equipment (PPE) to test overall thermal comfort so PPE equipment can be better designed to fit the comfort needs of Firefighters. A turn-out suit manufacturer has introduced a new lightweight material suit to be tested in the ThermaNOLE® comfort lab. This lab is equipped with ANDI®, a state-of-the-art thermal manikin that offers heightened sensitivity to measure heat loss and gain, allowing researchers to simulate human physiology while testing garments. A series of tests will be conducted with the thermal manikin ANDI® to evaluate both the new lightweight suit and a traditional weight control suit. Results will evaluate whether the lightweight structured material of PPE will make any improvements in thermal comfort for firefighters.

Keywords: textiles, exercise, thermal, firefighter, lab