A study on comfort of protective clothing for firefighters

Abstract Protective clothing for firefighters typically consists of a flame-resistant outer shell and inner layers. The inner layers are generally composed of a moisture barrier and a thermal barrier. When performing a task in a fire the heat and perspiration generated from the body become trapped inside the protective clothing. This heat and moisture result in heat stress and physical fatigue of the firefighter, which hinder their work. Therefore, the system of clothing designs and material layers must be chosen carefully to balance protection and comfort. In this study, three kinds of protective clothing of a three-layer structure were used to determine physiological comfort. Comparisons of the wear trials with the three kinds of layers indicated that the moisture dissipation of A+B2+C was highest, followed by A+B1+C and A+B3+C. The heat dissipation of A+B1+C and A+B2+C were better than A+B3+C. In the protective clothing with A+B3+C, heat and perspiration generated in the exercise remained in the clothing system too long while and caused discomfort.