Total Defence Division, Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI), Kjeller, Norway.
Int J Circumpolar Health. 2023 Dec;82(1):2195137. doi: 10.1080/22423982.2023.2195137.
Cold weather injuries (CWIs) are a challenge during military training, exercises and operations in Arctic conditions. Soldier performance in these challenging conditions depends on protective equipment, knowledge, personal experience, routines, and leadership. Despite the Norwegian Armed Forces' goal of zero freezing cold injuries (FCIs), there has been a persistently high incidence of FCIs among the younger soldiers with an average of 120-150 new FCIs recorded each year. Therefore, an expert working group with representatives from medical, defence and research background was established in 2020. Their task was to develop a communication package to help prevent CWIs among military personnel. Training videos and an updated and improved official website were created with a focus on practical recommendations and advice to prevent CWIs and especially FCIs. Risks, prevention and symptoms of FCIs were emphasised. The main goal of the training videos was to supplement current teaching on guidance for CWI prevention in CWOs to prevent FCIs, but following the advice may prevent non-freezing cold injuries (NFCIs) and hypothermia. This informative paper describes the background, working methods and possible implications of the training videos, which may be a potential way forward to improve cold weather training and operations.
寒冷天气损伤（CWIs）是在北极条件下进行军事训练、演习和行动时面临的挑战。在这些具有挑战性的条件下，士兵的表现取决于防护装备、知识、个人经验、常规和领导力。尽管挪威武装部队的目标是零冻伤（FCIs），但年轻士兵的冻伤发病率一直居高不下，平均每年有 120-150 例新的冻伤记录。因此，2020 年成立了一个由医疗、国防和研究背景的代表组成的专家工作组。他们的任务是开发一个沟通包，以帮助防止军人发生 CWIs。培训视频和一个更新和改进的官方网站已经创建，重点是预防 CWIs 特别是 FCIs 的实用建议和建议。强调了 FCIs 的风险、预防和症状。培训视频的主要目的是补充 CWOs 中预防 CWI 指导的现有教学内容，以预防 FCIs，但遵循这些建议可能会预防非冻伤（NFCIs）和低体温。本文介绍了培训视频的背景、工作方法和可能的影响，这可能是改善寒冷天气训练和行动的一种潜在方法。
