Project Aquarius  8. Sweating, Drinking, and Dehydration in Men Suppressing Wildland Fires

Hendrie, AL; Brotherhood, J. R.; Budd, G. M.; Jeffery, SE; Beasley, FA; Costin, BP; Zhien, W; Baker, MM; Cheney, NP; Dawson, MP

doi:10.1071/wf9970145

Cited by 17 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 13 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Fluid consumption as a proportion of sweat rate was higher than generally reported, (26,27) indicative of adequate access to fluids on site. The trend for higher fluid consumption and body mass gain by SR workers during a shift, is likely due to their inferior hydration status before work, the reason for which is not clear.…”

Section: Fluid Balancementioning

confidence: 43%

Working in Hot Conditions—A Study of Electrical Utility Workers in the Northern Territory of Australia

Brearley¹,

Harrington²,

Lee³

et al. 2015

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Environmental conditions of Australia's Northern Territory are seasonally conducive to excessive body heat storage by outdoor workers. For electrical utility workers who periodically work at height, in confined space, and in proximity to live power sources, the impact of the climate may be considered a hazardous condition. Therefore, this study examined the physiological and fluid balance responses of 20 power network workers (31.5 years; 86.0 kg; 1.71 m; BMI 29.5) throughout work shifts in the Northern and Southern regions of the Northern Territory, Australia. Twenty male heat-acclimatized power network workers provided written informed consent to be monitored during maintenance of electrical infrastructure that included replacing power pole components and transformer and substation repairs in the Northern (n = 13) and Southern regions (n = 7) of the Northern Territory (mean wet-bulb globe temperatures of 32.0°C and 28.7°C, respectively). An ingestible telemetry pill provided measurement of gastrointestinal temperature (Tgi), that when combined with heart rate values, provided physiological strain index (PSI). Urine specific gravity, sweat rate, and level of dehydration were also determined. The Tgi values of this study were within the ISO9886 limit for monitored, heat-acclimatized workers, with a peak of 38.4°C. Mean PSI was 2.6, which represents overall low strain, with periods of moderate strain. Urinary analysis indicated that workers were dehydrated prior to and following the work shift, however the mean sweat rate of 0.44 L.h(-1) was matched by fluid consumption of 0.42 L.h(-1) to limit body mass loss to 0.1% during the shift. This study demonstrates that heat acclimatized electrical utility workers adhere to ISO9886 requirements when undertaking self-paced activity in hot conditions.

show abstract

Section: Fluid Balancementioning

confidence: 43%

Working in Hot Conditions—A Study of Electrical Utility Workers in the Northern Territory of Australia

Brearley¹,

Harrington²,

Lee³

et al. 2015

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…T a , T r , T sk , H prod and P a ) 14,23,25 . Predicted sweat rates from equations based on measured sweat rates and ambient air temperatures from a study on sheep shearers in South Australia 14 and bush fire fighters 25 are given in Figure 4. Graded increases in sweating are observed from “light” to “moderate” to “strenuous” work activities and therefore the amount of internal heat production that must be balanced by evaporation at a given air temperature.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Numbers in parentheses indicate corresponding absolute metabolic heat production (in W). Sweat rates estimated using equations from Hendrie et al 25 and Gunn et al 14 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Occupational heat stress in Australian workplaces

Jay

Brotherhood

2016

Temperature

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The aim of this review was to summarize the current state of knowledge on heat stress risk within typical Australian occupational settings. We assessed identified occupations (mining, agriculture, construction, emergency services) for heat production and heat loss potential, and resultant levels of physiological heat strain. A total of 29 reports were identified that assessed in-situ work settings in Northern Territory, South Australia, Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, that measured physiological responses and characterized the thermal environment. Despite workers across all industries being regularly exposed to high ambient temperatures (32–42°C) often coupled with high absolute humidity (max: 33 hPa), physiological strain is generally low in terms of core temperature (<38°C) and dehydration (<1 % reduction in mass) by virtue of the low energy demands of many tasks, and self-regulated pacing of work possible in most jobs. Heat stress risk is higher in specific jobs in agriculture (e.g. sheep shearing), deep underground mining, and emergency services (e.g., search/rescue and bushfire fighting). Heat strain was greatest in military-related activities, particularly externally-paced marching with carried loads which resulted in core temperatures often exceeding 39.5°C despite being carried out in cooler environments. The principal driver of core temperature elevations in most jobs is the rate of metabolic heat production. A standardized approach to evaluating the risk of occupational heat strain in Australian workplaces is recommended defining the individual parameters that alter human heat balance. Future research should also more closely examine female workers and occupational activities within the forestry and agriculture/horticulture sector.

show abstract

“…The results of the studies included in this review indicate that dehydration is a reality in many firefighting contexts, but that this can be adequately addressed in most instances by ad libitum fluid intake. Dehydration leaves the firefighter at risk of harm to their health, safety and performance [6, 16]. The evidence provided by these studies assists in determining fluid replacement requirements for firefighters to combat occupational fluid loss.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Dehydration has been identified as having the potential to impact firefighter health, safety and performance [6, 16], and may exacerbate the effects of heat exposure by impairing the firefighter’s thermoregulatory response [17]. If firefighters are not receiving adequate fluid they may experience the adverse effects of dehydration [6, 18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of fire suppression tasks on firefighter hydration: a critical review with consideration of the utility of reported hydration measures

Walker¹,

Pope²,

Orr³

2016

Ann of Occup and Environ Med

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundFirefighting is a highly stressful occupation with unique physical challenges, apparel and environments that increase the potential for dehydration. Dehydration leaves the firefighter at risk of harm to their health, safety and performance. The purpose of this review was to critically analyse the current literature investigating the impact of fighting ‘live’ fires on firefighter hydration.MethodsA systematic search was performed of four electronic databases for relevant published studies investigating the impact of live fire suppression on firefighter hydration. Study eligibility was assessed using strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. The included studies were critically appraised using the Downs and Black protocol and graded according to the Kennelly grading system.ResultsTen studies met the eligibility criteria for this review. The average score for methodological quality was 55 %, ranging from 50 % (‘fair’ quality) to 61 % (‘good’ quality) with a ‘substantial agreement’ between raters (k = .772). Wildfire suppression was considered in five studies and structural fire suppression in five studies. Results varied across the studies, reflecting variations in outcome measures, hydration protocols and interventions. Three studies reported significant indicators of dehydration resulting from structural fire suppression, while two studies found mixed results, with some measures indicating dehydration and other measures an unchanged hydration status. Three studies found non-significant changes in hydration resulting from wildfire firefighting and two studies found significant improvements in markers of hydration. Ad libitum fluid intake was a common factor across the studies finding no, or less severe, dehydration.ConclusionsThe evidence confirms that structural and wildfire firefighting can cause dehydration. Ad libitum drinking may be sufficient to maintain hydration in many wildfire environments but possibly not during intense, longer duration, hot structural fire operations. Future high quality research better quantifying the effects of these influences on the degree of dehydration is required to inform policies and procedures that ensure firefighter health and safety.

show abstract

Project Aquarius 8. Sweating, Drinking, and Dehydration in Men Suppressing Wildland Fires

Cited by 17 publications

References 13 publications

Working in Hot Conditions—A Study of Electrical Utility Workers in the Northern Territory of Australia

Working in Hot Conditions—A Study of Electrical Utility Workers in the Northern Territory of Australia

Occupational heat stress in Australian workplaces

The impact of fire suppression tasks on firefighter hydration: a critical review with consideration of the utility of reported hydration measures

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About