Research Symposium

BIO

Elle Orchard is a sophomore majoring in Retail Entrepreneurship at Florida State University, where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree. She has earned placement on the President’s List each semester during her time at the university.
Elle conducts research under the mentorship of Dr. Meredith McQuerry and has gained experience working in the ThermaNOLE Comfort Lab®, Textile Testing Laboratory, and Body Scanning Lab. Her research focuses on protective clothing performance and fit analysis. She is currently assisting with an ergonomic assessment comparing male- and female-cut firefighter protective clothing to evaluate differences in fit and function while contributing to protocol validation.
Through this work and additional research initiatives, Elle has learned to use more than ten textile testing instruments to perform quality assurance evaluations on soft goods. She has also assisted with thermal and physiological performance testing using a dynamic sweating thermal manikin to assess heat stress and moisture management in personal protective equipment.
Elle has completed the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) and Human Subjects Research (HSR) training, preparing her to work with human participants in research settings. Her academic and laboratory experience supports her interest in product performance, textile testing, and consumer-focused design within the apparel industry.

Ergonomic Assessment of Male versus Female Firefighter Protective Clothing for Fit/Function Analysis Protocol Validation

Abstract

As the fire service remains male dominated, personal protective equipment (PPE) is still being designed around male anthropometrics, yet assumed to function equally as well for women. Prior research suggests that this assumption may compromise gear fit and mobility for female firefighters.
An ergonomic assessment comparing female- and male-cut structural PPE was conducted among five female firefighters. The results indicated that there was no significant difference.
This study highlights the value of improving fit accuracy to determine the extent to which ill-fitting PPE is a problem present for female firefighters and to what extent it is causing setbacks. Future research will examine relationships among suit fit, air gaps, carcinogen exposure, and long-term health outcomes.

Keywords: Retail, Textiles, Apparel, Firefighter, Entrepreneurship, Ergonomic Mobility