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Annals of Occupational Hygiene Advance Access originally published online on October 18, 2006
Annals of Occupational Hygiene 2007 51(1):91-96; doi:10.1093/annhyg/mel056
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©The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society

Thermophysiological Responses Caused by Ballistic Bullet-Proof Vests

E. J. LEHMACHER1,*, P. JANSING2 and T. KÜPPER3,4

1 B·A·D Preventive Health Care and Safety Engineering GmbH Bonn
2 State Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of North-Rhine Westphalia Düsseldorf
3 Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Aachen Technical University Aachen
4 Centre for Travel Medicine, Düsseldorf Germany

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +49 221 9711020; fax: +49 221 713957; e-mail: lehmacher{at}bad817.bad-gmbh.de

Background: Little data is available concerning the heat stress experienced by members of staff who wear bullet-proof vests in a warm or hot environment. For this reason, knowledge is limited and, consequently, preventative advice on how to avoid heat sickness or hyperthermia is required.

Study design: Skin and body temperatures, fluid loss and the heart rate of 30 persons (15 test persons versus 15 control persons) were measured in three situations typical of the test participants’ job situations. Environmental data (wind velocity, air humidity, air temperature) were measured during the tests as well.

Results: Whereas there was a significant increase in skin temperatures, there was no difference in the core body temperatures of both groups. Maximum core body temperature remained well below 38°C in all subjects. Test persons wearing vests showed a fluid loss of 1.1 l on average (non-vest wearers in the control group 1.0 l).

Conclusion: There is no increased risk of heat stroke or hyperthermia for employees wearing bullet-proof vests in comparison with employees who do not wear them. Both groups, however, should be advised to ensure an adequate intake of fluid to maintain a healthy body fluid balance when working in hot environments.

Keywords: bullet-proof vest • flak jacket • thermophysiological response • thermal stress


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