Centro de Documentacion de Fundación MAPFRE - A Review of heat transfer phenomena and the impact of moisture on firefighters' clothing and protection

MAP20140025893

A Review of heat transfer phenomena and the impact of moisture on firefighters' clothing and protection / Aude Morel...[et.al]

Sumario: Protective clothing with high insulation properties helps to keep the wearer safe from flames and other types of hazards. Such protection presents some drawbacks since it hinders movement and decreases comfort, in particular due to heat stress. In fact, sweating causes the accumulation of moisture which directly influences firefighters' performance, decreasing protection due to the increase in radiant heat flux. Vaporisation and condensation of hot moisture also induces skin burn. To evaluate the heat protection of protective clothing, Henrique's equation is used to predict the time leading to second-degree burn. The influence of moisture on protection is complex, i.e. at low radiant heat flux, an increase in moisture content increases protection, and also changes thermal properties. Better understanding of heat and mass transfer in protective clothing is required to develop enhanced protection and to prevent burn injuries

En: Ergonomics : the international journal of research and practice in human factors and ergonomics. - Oxon [United Kingdom] : Taylor & Francis, 2010- = ISSN 0014-0139. - 07/07/2014 Volumen 57 Número 7 - julio 2014