Characterizing the Effects of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Operations on the Human Body While Wearing Heavy Personal Protective Equipment

• Published in: Human factors Vol. 64; no. 7; pp. 1137 - 1153
• Main Authors: Wu, Yi-Ning, Norton, Adam, Zielinski, Michael R., Kao, Pei-Chun, Stanwicks, Andrew, Pang, Patrick, Cring, Charles H., Flynn, Brian, Yanco, Holly A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.11.2022; Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
• Subjects: Cognitive ability; Cognitive tasks; Data recording; Exoskeleton; Exoskeletons; Explosions; Hazard identification; Hazard mitigation; Human body; Human performance; Inspection; Kinematics; Mobility; Muscles; Ordnance; Personal protective equipment; Physical stress; Physiological responses; Physiology; Protective equipment; Technicians; Ventilation; skilled performance; testing and evaluation; bomb suit; physiological measurement; physical work
• ISSN: 0018-7208; 1547-8181
• DOI: 10.1177/0018720821992623

Objective To provide a comprehensive characterization of explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) personal protective equipment (PPE) by evaluating its effects on the human body, specifically the poses, tasks, and conditions under which EOD operations are performed. Background EOD PPE is designed to protect technicians from a blast. The required features of protection make EOD PPE heavy, bulky, poorly ventilated, and difficult to maneuver in. It is not clear how the EOD PPE wearer physiologically adapts to maintain physical and cognitive performance during EOD operations. Method Fourteen participants performed EOD operations including mobility and inspection tasks with and without EOD PPE. Physiological measurement and kinematic data recording were used to record human physiological responses and performance. Results All physiological measures were significantly higher during the mobility and the inspection tasks when EOD PPE was worn. Participants spent significantly more time to complete the mobility tasks, whereas mixed results were found in the inspection tasks. Higher back muscle activations were seen in participants who performed object manipulation while wearing EOD PPE. Conclusion EOD operations while wearing EOD PPE pose significant physical stress on the human body. The wearer’s mobility is impacted by EOD PPE, resulting in decreased speed and higher muscle activations. Application The testing and evaluation methodology in this study can be used to benchmark future EOD PPE designs. Identifying hazards posed by EOD PPE lays the groundwork for developing mitigation plans, such as exoskeletons, to reduce physical and cognitive stress caused by EOD PPE on the wearers without compromising their operational performance.