Effect of Cooling on Static Postural Balance While Wearing Firefighter’s Protective Clothing in a Hot Environment

Details

• Personal Author:
  Aljaroudi AM ; Bhattacharya, Amit ; Quinn TD ; Strauch A ; Williams WJ
• Description:
  Objectives. Postural imbalance can result from hyperthermia-mediated muscular fatigue and is a major factor contributing to injuries from falling. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of exercise-induced hyperthermia and the impact of cooling on postural balance while wearing firefighters' protective clothing (FPC) in a hot environment. Methods. A portable force platform measured postural balance characterized by postural sway patterns using center of pressure metrics. Twelve healthy, physically fit males were recruited to stand on the force platform once with eyes open and once with eyes closed before and after treadmill exercise (40% VO2max) inside an environmental chamber under hot and humid conditions (30 degrees C and 70% relative humidity) while wearing FPC. Subjects participated in two randomly assigned experimental phases: control and cooling intervention. Results. A significant increase in physiological responses and postural balance metrics was observed after exercising in the heat chamber while wearing FPC. Cooling resulted in a significant effect only on postural sway speed after exercise-induced hyperthermia. Conclusions. Hyperthermia can negatively alter postural balance metrics, which may lead to an increased likelihood of falling. The utilization of body cooling reduced the thermal strain but had limited impact on postural balance stability. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Ergonomics Firefighters Heat Stress Disorders Hot Temperature Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Protective Clothing Safety
• Keywords:
  Active Cooling Author Keywords: Firefighters Body Temperature Fire Fighters Heat Stress Hot Environments Hyperthermia Postural Balance Posture PPE Protective Clothing

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• ISSN:
  1080-3548
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Florida ; Maryland ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 6 ; Pennsylvania ; Texas
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  NPPTL - National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  29
• Issue:
  4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20066294
• Citation:
  Int J Occup Saf Ergon 2023 Oct; 29(4):1460-1466
• Contact Point Address:
  W. Jon Williams, PhD, NPPTL/NIOSH/CDC, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, Pittsburgh, PA, USA 15236
• Email:
  aun7@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2024
• NORA Priority Area:
  Public Safety
• Performing Organization:
  University of Cincinnati
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:ac7123ffccbf45f4962a3d461b5032fef0857ebc375af0fec77f72d424e8a84c7d9f873a3a9a7930ca0f8d4496a13d65745a138f6c02d241c2356e445aa1e2d6
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/212770/cdc_212770_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.22 MB ]