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Evaluation of physiological strain in law enforcement personnel wearing protective clothing and equipment

Law Enforcement (LE) officers are frequently required to utilize personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect against potential exposure to chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear materials. However, thermal safety standards for LE‐PPE have not been established. This study assessed thermal‐work strain (TWS) levels of LE practitioners wearing PPE and carrying loads (~20 kg) during field training exercises. Ten male LE personnel involved in 1.5 hr training exercises including various activities (e.g., walking, running, climbing, carrying a human body) in cool environment (4.2 °C). Unobtrusively collected heart rate (HR) data integrated into a simple thermoregulatory model were utilized to evaluate core temperature (Tc). During a post‐study focus group, thermal sensation (TS) was assessed using a 9 point ordinary scale. Maximum HR ranged from 101 to 182 bpm and maximum predicted Tc ranged from 37.1 to 37.9 °C. Seven individuals reported transiently experiencing a TS ≥ 6 (= hot) during the training. The cool environmental conditions reduced TWS associated with PPE and vigorous physical activities (e.g., carrying/dragging a person). This approach should facilitate the establishment of LE‐specific standards for TWS and thermal injury prevention. This research was supported by NIJ and US Army NSRDEC. Authors’ views are not official views of US Army/DOD.