title: Micro-environment changes inside impermeable protective clothing during a continuous work exposure.
abstract: Protective clothing (PC) results in a micro-environment between itself and the body. Workers are then exposed to a heat stress greater than the ambient environment alone, which is a reflection of micro-environment, metabolic rate and time. Adjustments to the ambient environment to account for the micro-environment have been formulated as a means to predict heat strain for safety and productivity purposes. Measurement of the actual micro-environment was made for a mean of 63.1 +/- 7.9 min using a remote sensor at the shoulder, hip and thigh levels on 15 subjects during a continuous work protocol (300 kcal/h) in impermeable PC at an ambient temperature of 30.1 degrees C wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) (32 degrees C dry, 29 degrees C wet, 33 degrees C globe). Micro-environment temperature increased over the duration of the work period. There was no statistically significant difference (p>0.05) between the measurements made at the three different body sites for temperature or humidity. The mean micro-environmental WBGT at the end of work was 34.6 degrees C WBGT. Micro-environment WBGT increased rapidly in the first 20 min of work then slowed, rising only 0.5 degrees C WBGT from 40 to 60 min. These results suggest that at this particular high ambient temperature (30.1 degrees C WBGT) an adjustment factor of 5 degrees C WBGT would give a more accurate indication of thermal stress for up to 1 h of continuous moderate work within PC. For shorter work durations, an even smaller adjustment would be appropriate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Performance Studies, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa 35487, USA. ian.muir@nike.com
authors.forename: I H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Muir
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Bishop
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kozusko
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity; D008297:Male; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*; D011481:Protective Clothing; D012016:Reference Values