The effects of personal protective equipment on heart rate, oxygen consumption and body temperature of firefighters: A systematic review

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Fire extinguishing operations are carried out by firefighters equipped with personal protective equipment (PPE) in dangerous environments. Although PPE protects firefighters, it can affect many physiological parameters. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effects of PPE on firefighters’ heart rate (HR), oxygen consumption (OC) and body temperature (BT). METHODS: This systematic review thoroughly reviewed relevant articles in the reliable databases “Web of Science”, “Embase”, “IranDoc”, “IranMedex”, “SID”, “Magiran”, “Google Scholar”, “PubMed” and “Scopus” from 2010 to 2021. Some of the used search terms were “firefighters”, “personal protective equipment”, “heart rate” and “oxygen consumption”. RESULTS: Out of the 405 studies identified through the systematic search, 18 articles were eligible according to the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) checklist, among which 11 studies were conducted in North America, three in Asia, two in Europe, and two studies in Oceania. According to the review of studies, PPE increased HR, BT, and OC. The type of PPE components, the weight of the equipment, the kind of activity of firefighters, and weather conditions were among the influencing parameters on the extent of PPE’s influence on these physiological parameters. CONCLUSION: The results of the studies show that PPE separately and collectively affects the physiological parameters of HR, BT and OC. To reduce these effects, it is necessary to pay attention to several items, including the weight of PPE, the type of PPE ingredients in different weather conditions, and the type of activities of firefighters in PPE design.

Effects of Wearing Personal Protective Equipment on Serum Cortisol Levels and Physiological Variables in Healthcare Workers: A Randomised Controlled Trial in a Simulated Pandemic Environment

“…In a similar study, SPO2 levels of 98.57% before wearing PPE decreased to 98.34% with PPE and after the removal of PPE it was 98.39% -without major variation, it remained around 98% [10]. Oxygen consumption have been shown to be increased with wearing a PPE kit [17]. Significantly lower SpO2 in the PPE group compared to the control group across conditions might explain the tiredness or fatigue with PPE use as documented [21], however, it is interesting that overall the levels are in the normal range in our study which might be explained by the less restrictive type of full-body PPE kit.…”

“…A minimal change in heart rate or even a linear relationship of heart rate with temperature with or without PPE has been documented [10,12]. A systematic review suggested increase in heart rate with PPE was highly dependent on the weight of the PPE, the type of cloth of PPE and weather conditions [17]. No change in cardiovascular and respiratory parameters was noted with the use of N95 masks in a study of pregnant vs non-pregnant females [18].…”

Risk assessment of firefighting job using hybrid SWARA-ARAS methods in fuzzy environment

“…The first step involved compiling a comprehensive list of potential hazards from various sources, including a literature review and interviews with a panel of experts [ [32] , [33] , [34] , [35] , [36] ]. Table 4 shows the findings of identifying 25 important risks.…”

Associations between Recognition and Behaviors Regarding the Use, Washing and Management of Firefighting Protection Suits and Public Health Awareness of Occupational Exposure Risks among Firefighters

“…These substances adversely affect the human body and can cause diseases such as cancer [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. Therefore, the correct use, washing and management of personal protective equipment (PPE) is very important for firefighters engaged in firefighting activities at fire scenes [16][17][18]. The PPE worn by firefighters during fire scenes includes firefighting protective suits (FPSs), self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) cylinders, face masks, helmets, firefighting boots and gloves.…”