Development of Hand-Specific Model and Systems Tool
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, Principal Investigator - Guowen Song, PhD
RELEVANCE
Gloves as subsystems in personal protective equipment (PPE) ensemble are critical in response operations for firefighters to ensure their safety and health. However, the lack of full understanding of thermal physiology of hand and fingers, the relationship between glove material properties and hand manual performance, as well as the nonexistence of a comprehensive glove evaluation system are the major challenges for further improving both thermal protection and manual performance. The inadequate design, engineering, and integration of the PPE system are evidenced to be the major reason for the protection failures and accidents, especially on the hazardous fireground for firefighters.
METHODS
The proposed study is a collaborative effort with researchers in functional textiles, human physiology, numerical simulation, industrial and garment design, performance evaluation, and fire service departments, as well as PPE manufacturers. The goals and objectives of this study can be achieved and measured through carefully designed interdisciplinary labs and teamwork. The first approach is hand-specific model development and the second is to develop a hand form manikin evaluation system with hazard simulation of radiation, hot liquid, and steam. The third is to generate biophysical data for model validation and improvement through a lab manikin system and specially designed human trials. Finally, high-performance gloves will be explored.
ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES
The deliverable of this research is a systematic tool for hand responses/injury prediction, manual performance analysis, and next-generation high-performance gloves for firefighters and other emergency responders, including a new hand-specific thermoregulation model, hand-glove manual performance model, and an instrumented hand form manikin.
These include:
• Education and training tool: when coupling with a glove model that depicts the heat and moisture transfer through glove layers, cold or burn injury predictions for both bare and gloved hands can be calculated in various environments or against different thermal hazards. This knowledge will help educate and train firefighters to protect the vulnerable parts of their hands in training and firefighting to maintain safety and good manual performance that assures the success of operations. In addition, the team will work with firefighter training center in Iowa and develop an inexpensive visualized demonstration software that will serve as an education, training, and awareness tool that can be widely available to fire service departments across the country. • New standards and regulations: the knowledge developed will be applied to improve or develop new standards by ASTM and NFPA organizations, as well as manufacturers.
• The tool will provide enhanced understanding about hand thermal regulatory nature with consideration of hand anthropometry, anatomy, and thermal physical properties. This understanding can also assist fire chiefs to make informed decisions regarding proper training and firefighting operating procedures.
The significant results of the proposed interdisciplinary approach are therefore expected to enhance working efficiency, safety, health, and wellbeing for firefighters and other emergency responders. Thus, the outcomes will advance the protective clothing field and have a broader and highly positive social and economic impact.