Abstract
Physical employment standards (PESs) exist for certain occupational groups that also require the use of protective clothing ensembles (PCEs) during their normal work. This review addresses whether these current PESs appropriately incorporate the physiological burden associated with wearing PCEs during respective tasks. Metabolic heat production increases because of wearing PCE; this increase is greater than that because of simply the weight of the clothing and can vary 2-fold among individuals. This variation negates a simple adjustment to the PES for the effect of the clothing on metabolic rate. As a result, PES testing that only simulates the weight of the clothing and protective equipment does not adequately accommodate this effect. The physiological heat strain associated with the use of PCEs is also not addressed with current PESs. Typically the selection tests of a PES lasts less than 20 min, whereas the requirement for use of PCE in the workplace may approach 1 h before cooling strategies can be employed. One option that might be considered is to construct a heat stress test that requires new recruits and incumbents to work for a predetermined duration while exposed to a warm environmental temperature while wearing the PCE.
Highlights
One might expect that occupational groups would include the requirement to breathe through a respirator during Physical employment standards (PESs) testing if their daily work environment requires the use of a respirator as part of their protective clothing ensembles (PCEs)
If the use of PCE is not a daily requirement of the workplace, such as with the military biological and chemical protective clothing, the use of work and rest guidelines should suffice for managing the heat strain of wearing the clothing rather than constructing a unique PES that requires the use of PCE. For occupational groups such as firefighters that require the use of PCE on a daily basis in warm or hot ambient temperatures, the PES could include an assessment of individual heat tolerance as discussed in more detail below
Current PES testing for firefighters require candidates to carry the weight of the clothing and equipment routinely used in the workplace, it is important to realize that it is an absolute load of approximately 23 kg that is used for all candidates (Deakin et al 1996; International Association of Fire Chiefs 1999; International Association of Firefighters 1999)
Summary
Physical employment standards (PESs) exist for certain public safety occupational groups, such as the military (Deakin et al 1996, 2000; Todd Rogers et al 2014), structural (Brandweer Nederland 2013; International Association of Fire Chiefs 1999; International Association of Firefighters 1999; Stevenson et al 2009; Siddall et al 2014) and wildland firefighters (Sharkey 1999; Petersen et al 2010; Canadian Wildland Firefighter Fitness Testing 2012), nuclear security officers (Regulatory Document RD-363 2008), and police (Farenholtz and Rhodes 1990) These PESs typically require incumbents or new recruits to perform selection tests at least to the minimum acceptable performance level and/or perform a circuit of essential tasks of the job within a prescribed time.
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