Ergonomic Issues
To effectively stop a blast wave, thick layers of Kevlar, foam and plastic are needed to prevent serious bodily harm. Since the entire body needs protection, the resulting bomb suit can be heavy (up to 37 kg or more), hot to the point of causing heat stress, and difficult to move in. Therefore, often one individual will put on a suit to approach a device for defusing after it has been identified. The weight of the suit is often a tradeoff with the amount of protection it can provide. A range of bomb suits are thus available so that agencies can choose the needed protection without unnecessary weight when possible. A minimal suit consists of a jacket, apron and helmet that weigh as little as 5 kg. These are listed as being suitable for demining activities but not EOD.
The materials needed to make bomb suits protective do not release body heat generated by the wearer. The result can be heat stress, which can lead to illness and disorientation, reducing the wearer’s ability to accomplish the task. The most recent models of bomb suits include battery operated cooling systems to prevent heat stress. One manufacturer’s study claims that the internal cooling systems on 18 kg and 37 kg bomb suits helped the wearer stay at workable temperatures for up to an hour, even in a hot environment.
Read more about this topic: Bombsuit
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