Abstract
For firefighters, turnout boots must insulate, resist water/chemicals, carry heavy loads, climb variable terrain, push and plant; to enable the wearer to perform in dangerous conditions and save lives. In 2016, the National Fire Protection Association estimated that 62,085 injuries occurred in the line of duty [1]. Many of these injuries can be attributed to poor fitting and functioning turnout gear, especially boots. In order to understand this challenge, a human factors approach, through a human centered design lens was used to investigate directly from firefighters how turnout boots function during performance. The researchers conducted a pilot study, through a web survey and SWOT analysis of state-of-the-art turnout boots available domestically, to understand design opportunities. The results helped define future research goals and initial design insights, for the development of new turnout boots; including partnership identification, component needs, sizing, materials and manufacturing processes.
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Sokolowski, S.L., Cantrell, N., Griffin, L. (2019). Firefighting Turnout Boots: How a Human Factors Approach Can Improve Performance. In: Chung, W., Shin, C. (eds) Advances in Interdisciplinary Practice in Industrial Design. AHFE 2018. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 790. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94601-6_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94601-6_8
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