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2023 article

Impact of firefighter hood design on range of motion, noise production and hearing

Kesler, R. M., Deaton, A. S., Ormond, R. B., Silverstein, S., Donlin, K. L., & Horn, G. P. (2023, December 15). ERGONOMICS, Vol. 12.

By: R. Kesler *, A. Deaton n, R. Ormond  n, S. Silverstein*, K. Donlin* & G. Horn *

author keywords: Personal protective equipment; firefighting; range of motion; wearability
topics (OpenAlex): Occupational Health and Performance; Ergonomics and Musculoskeletal Disorders; Winter Sports Injuries and Performance
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Source: Web Of Science
Added: January 2, 2024

Firefighter hoods must provide protection from elevated temperatures and products of combustion while simultaneously being comfortable and limiting interference with firefighting movement or completion of fireground activities. This study was to quantify the impact of hood design (traditional knit hood vs. several models of particulate-blocking hoods) on wearability measures such as range of motion, noise production and hearing threshold. Firefighters' perceptions of wearability were also collected. In a controlled laboratory environment, 24 firefighters performed movement and hearing tests. Wearing particulate-blocking hoods resulted in decreased rotational range of motion, and thicker hoods reduced hearing ability. Design, but not necessarily the number of layers, affected noise production by the hood during head movement.