Firefighter uncompensable heat stress results in excessive upper body temperatures measured by infrared thermography: Implications for cooling strategies

Abstract

This research sought to evaluate the thermal zones of the upper body and firefighter personal protective equipment (PPE) immediately following uncompensable heat stress (0.03 °C increase/min). We hypothesized that the frontal portion of the head and the inside of the firefighter helmet would be the hottest as measured by infrared thermography. This hypothesis was due to previous research demonstrating that the head accounts for ∼8–10% of the body surface area, but it accounts for ∼20% of the overall body heat dissipation during moderate exercise. Twenty participants performed a 21-min graded treadmill exercise protocol (Altered Modified Naughton) in an environmental chamber (35 °C, 50 % humidity) in firefighter PPE. The body areas analyzed were the frontal area of the head, chest, abdomen, arm, neck, upper back, and lower back. The areas of the PPE that were analyzed were the inside of the helmet and the jacket. The hottest areas of the body post-exercise were the frontal area of the head (mean: 37.3 ± 0.4 °C), chest (mean: 37.5 ± 0.3 °C), and upper back (mean: 37.3 ± 0.4 °C). The coldest area of the upper body was the abdomen (mean: 36.1 ± 0.4 °C). The peak temperature of the inside of the helmet increased (p < 0.001) by 9.8 °C from 27.7 ± 1.6 °C to 37.4 ± 0.7 °C, and the inside of the jacket increased (p < 0.001) by 7.3 °C from 29.2 ± 1.7 °C to 36.5 ± 0.4 °C. The results of this study are relevant for cooling strategies for firefighters.