Development of firefighters' protective jacket for female firefighters offering improved thermal comfort through modification of materials, garment design, construction and fit

Fire-fighters’ protective garments consist of a layered material assembly which typically include a flame-resistant outer shell and functional inner layers. The inner layers are generally composed of a moisture barrier and a thermal barrier or liner. When a firefighter is performing a task in a fire, the heat and perspiration generated from the body becomes trapped inside the protective clothing and may cause heat stress to the wearer. At the moment, in Australia there are no particular designs of firefighters’ protective ensembles specifically developed for female fire-fighters. The female firefighters utilize exactly the same protective jacket as male fire-fighters.
In the present research, different commercial textile materials that are most commonly used for skin layer garments and for firefighters’ protective clothing were evaluated for their thermal and sensorial comfort attributes. The best performing materials combination offering enhanced thermal comfort attributes for skin layer garments and for the firefighters’ protective jacket were selected for use in the firefighters’ protective jacket in existing design and fit and in new and improved design and fit suitable for female firefighters. 3D body scanning technology was used to analyse the existing design, construction and fit of the existing firefighters’ protective jacket as relevant to female body form. Thermal manikin Newton was used to determine the influence of jacket design, size and fit on thermal attributes as relevant to male and female form of the manikin.
Findings of the research demonstrate that, size, construction and fit of protective clothing have a considerable impact on the thermal comfort attributes of the clothing regardless of the materials used. In addition, the existing design, construction and fit of the protective jacket need to be modified to better suit female firefighters. Their body geometry should be taken into consideration when designing the protective jackets for them. The results of the present research are encouraging for the future development of new firefighters’ protective jackets for Australian female firefighters. The results also reveal that there is a need for anthropometric studies of female Australian firefighters. The availability of a relevant anthropometric database would greatly help to inform the protective clothing engineers and manufacturers enabling the most functional to produce the protective clothing that is of best function and fit, and that offers enhanced thermal comfort properties along with adequate protection.