Evaluation of Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) Weight on Firefighter Stamina, Comfort, and Postural Stability

Details

• Personal Author:
  Burd NA ; Horn, Gavin P. ; Joshi S ; Kesler RM ; Masoud F ; Massey KA ; Nguyen D ; Powell J ; Xu S ; Zhuang Z
• Description:
  Firefighters wear personal protective equipment to protect them from the thermal and chemical environment in which they operate. The self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) provides isolation of the airway from the hazardous fireground. National standards limit SCBA weight, however, integration of additional features could result in an SCBA exceeding the current limit. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of increased SCBA weight on firefighters' physiological responses, work output, dynamic stability, and comfort. Completion of simulated firefighting activities induced a strong physiological response. Peak oxygen consumption was higher with the lightest SCBA than the heaviest SCBA. Few other physiological differences were noted as SCBA weight increased. Importantly, increased SCBA weight resulted in significantly more negative perceptions by the firefighters and a trend towards significance for the duration of work time prior to reaching volitional fatigue. These results should be considered when assessing changes to existing SCBA weight limits. PRACTITIONER SUMMARY: Increased SCBA weight above existing national standards resulted in negative perceptions by the firefighters, but not significant physiological changes after two simulated bouts of firefighting activity. SCBA weight had a nearly significant impact on the time firefighters worked before reaching volitional fatigue, with heavier SCBA trending towards decreased working time. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Ergonomics Firefighters Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Personal Protective Equipment Fire Fighters Firefighting Functional Balance Personal Protective Equipment Physiological Response Posture PPE SCBA Self-contained Breathing Apparatus Self Contained Breathing Apparatus Weight Factors

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• ISSN:
  0014-0139
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Chicago Region [OSHA] ; Illinois ; Maryland ; Pennsylvania ; Philadelphia Region [OSHA]
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  NPPTL - National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  68
• Issue:
  4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20069871
• Citation:
  Ergonomics 2025 Apr; 68(4):557-570
• Contact Point Address:
  Richard M. Kesler, Fire Safety Research Institute, UL Research Institutes, 6200 Old Dobbin Lane, Columbia, MD 21045
• Email:
  richard.kesler@ul.org
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Ergonomics
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:72f040031b8938c6eb98551ac9cfd03a810817531f319d3a08f90c4282e6423d79495c05af03f7190af5a4cab147e4add0c67210320f7b3676c34a7d5deb36c7
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/208211/cdc_208211_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 6.44 MB ]