Richardson J E, Capra M F
Queensland Fire and Rescue Authority, GPO Box 1425, Brisbane Qld 4001, Australia.
J Occup Environ Med. 2001 Dec;43(12):1064-72. doi: 10.1097/00043764-200112000-00008.
Firefighters in Queensland are exposed to hot, humid weather conditions that contribute to the overall workload encountered during emergency operations. Responding to certain hazardous material incidents requires firefighters to wear fully encapsulated chemical protective suits for a maximum period of 20 minutes. The nature of these suits, combined with workload and environmental conditions, poses a potential heat stress problem for firefighters. This study evaluates the heat-induced physiological responses of firefighters while wearing fully encapsulated chemical protective suits in a series of controlled thermal environments. Heart rate, body (aural) temperature, blood pressure, fluid loss, and a rating of perceived exertion were measured to evaluate the effect of increasing ambient air temperature during the performance of standard tasks. The results of the study indicated that the significant increase in heart rate, body temperature, and blood pressure was directly related to the increase in air temperature. The research indicates that the recommended suit wearing time of 20 minutes provided adequate physiological protection under the research conditions.
昆士兰的消防员要面临炎热潮湿的天气状况，这增加了应急行动期间的总体工作量。应对某些危险物质事故时，消防员需穿着全封闭式化学防护服，最长时间为20分钟。这些防护服的特性，再加上工作量和环境条件，给消防员带来了潜在的热应激问题。本研究评估了消防员在一系列可控热环境中穿着全封闭式化学防护服时热诱导的生理反应。测量了心率、体温（耳温）、血压、液体流失以及主观用力程度分级，以评估在执行标准任务期间环境空气温度升高的影响。研究结果表明，心率、体温和血压的显著升高与气温升高直接相关。研究表明，在研究条件下，建议的20分钟着装时间能提供足够的生理保护。
