| Donning protective clothing for mitigation of hazard from chemical agents poses a problem in the form of heat stress. When choosing protective clothing, many factors must be taken into account including insulative properties and evaporative resistance. This study calculated and compared Re,T,a for three clothing ensembles at levels of heat stress past the level of compensation for heat gain to determine if Re,T,a values varied or remained the same with changes in heat stress level. A three-way mixed model analysis of variance demonstrated significant differences for estimated Re,T,a values among ensembles, heat stress levels and interactions among ensembles and heat stress levels (p < 0.0001). A significant interaction between heat stress levels and ensembles was identified (p < 0.05). The results of the study indicated that Re,T,a values are affected by levels of heat stress such that increasing levels were associated with lower values of Re,T,a. The study also helped to illustrate that Re,T,a values are not a constant associated with clothing, walking speed, and air speed. |
