Grip strength of law enforcement officers and its implications.

Grip strength (GS) plays a vital role for law enforcement officers (LEOs). This study aimed to establish a baseline for LEO GS, compare it with the general population, determine the correlation between LEO GS and body dimensions, and evaluate the implications for occupational performance. A total of 756 male and 218 female LEOs from across the U.

A cluster-based law enforcement body armor sizing system: Concept, procedure, and design practice.

Given the evolution of human body dimensions, the increasing diversity within the law enforcement workforce, the growing risks of assault faced by law enforcement officers (LEOs), and the absence of a national standard for body armor sizing, there is a critical need to explore LEO body size classification. This exploration will facilitate the development of an armor sizing structure that adequately accommodates the current LEO population. This study aimed to address this need by developing a LEO body armor sizing scheme and creating a sizing chart/app.

Association of anthropometric characteristics of law enforcement officers with perceived ratings of fit, comfort, and pain in the use of body armor.

Knowledge gaps exist on association between law enforcement officer (LEO) anthropometric characteristics and perceived body armour fit, armour discomfort, and armour-caused pain. This study assessed the correlation and identified influential torso dimensions for armour sizing and design applications. Nine-hundreds and seventy-four LEOs across the U.

Evaluation of advanced curve speed warning system to prevent fire truck rollover crashes.

Introduction: A disproportionately high number of deadly crash-incidents involve fire-tanker rollovers during emergency response driving. Most of these rollover incidents occur at dangerous horizontal curves ("curves") due to unsafe speed. This study examined the effects of a curve speed warning system (CSWS) on fire tanker drivers' emergency response behavior to develop system improvement suggestions.

Assessment of challenges in patrol vehicles and with equipment among law enforcement officers.

Understanding the challenges Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs) have encountered with their vehicle and equipment and the correlation between equipment configuration and LEO body dimensions is critical for improving vehicle/equipment specifications to better accommodate today's LEOs. 974 LEOs participated in a study on their vehicle, equipment, and body measurements at 12 sites across the U.S.

Body Models of Law Enforcement Officers for Cruiser Cab Accommodation Simulation.

Objectives: This study developed multivariate law enforcement officer (LEO) body models for digital simulation of LEO accommodation in police cruiser cabs.

Background: Anthropometrically accurate digital LEO body models, representing the United States LEOs, for computerized LEO cruiser interface simulations are lacking.

Methods: Twenty body dimensions (with and without gear combined) of 756 male and 218 female LEOs were collected through a stratified national survey using a data collection trailer that traveled across the US.

Encumbered and Traditional Anthropometry of Law Enforcement Officers for Vehicle Workspace and Protective Equipment Design.

Objectives: This study investigated anthropometric changes of national law enforcement officers (LEOs) in 46 years, compared the differences between LEO data and civilian anthropometry, and identified the magnitude of differences in dimensions measured with gear versus semi-nude measurements.

Background: The best available 46-year-old anthropometric dataset of LEOs has largely become outdated due to demographic changes. Additionally, anthropometric data of female LEOs and LEO measurements with gear are lacking.

Selected movement and force pattern differences in rail- and rung-climbing of fire apparatus aerial ladders at 52.5° slope.

This study compares human climbing performance, including climbing speed and movement and force patterns, between rail- and rung-climbing styles for a moderate aerial ladder slope (52.5°). Hand and foot movements and forces were recorded for 9 male and 10 female firefighters as they ascended and descended a 3.

Evaluation of advanced curve speed warning system for fire trucks.

A curve speed warning system (CSWS) for firetrucks was developed and tested in this study. The CSWS algorithm was developed based on guidelines in the public domain for general vehicles and modified for firetrucks for their configuration and emergency driving. Twenty-four firefighters participated in the test in a driving simulator.

Needs and Procedures for a National Anthropometry Study of Law Enforcement Officers.

Objectives: This research aims to determine the need and extent for a national anthropometry survey of law enforcement officers (LEOs) via an exploratory investigation of anthropometric changes of LEOs in four decades and comparisons of the LEO data with three existing military and civilian anthropometry sources.

Background: The best available anthropometric dataset of LEOs is 45 years old and has largely become outdated due to demographic changes. Assessing the extent of anthropometric changes of LEOs through a sample and evaluating the differences of the sample against existing anthropometric datasets is a step toward ascertaining the necessity for a national LEO anthropometry study.

Anthropometric study of emergency medical services providers (EMSP) in the United States.

Introduction: Design of next-generation ambulance patient compartment requires up-to date anthropometric data of emergency medical service providers (EMSP). Currently, no such data exist in the U.S.

Effects of aerial ladder rung spacing on firefighter climbing biomechanics.

This study investigated the effects of aerial ladder rung spacing on firefighter climbing biomechanics. Ten female and 9 male firefighters ascended and descended instrumented ladders with rungs spaced at 356 mm (current design) and 305 mm in a laboratory setup. The climbing tests were performed at five ladder slope and handrail conditions: 30° with low (305 mm) and high (914 mm) handrails, 52.

A biomechanical shoulder strain index based on stabilizing demand of shoulder joint.

Work-related shoulder joint disorders contribute considerably to absenteeism in the workplace. To identify the tasks that are stressful to the shoulder joint, a strain index was formulated based on the concept of concavity compression-a shoulder stabilizing mechanism. The magnitude and direction of the shoulder joint reaction forces were used in formulating the strain index.

Preventing Emergency Vehicle Crashes: Status and Challenges of Human Factors Issues.

Objective: This study reports current status of knowledge and challenges associated with the emergency vehicle (police car, fire truck, and ambulance) crashes, with respect to the major contributing risk factors.

Background: Emergency vehicle crashes are a serious nationwide problem, causing injury and death to emergency responders and citizens. Understanding the underlying causes of these crashes is critical for establishing effective strategies for reducing the occurrence of similar incidents.

Firefighter Hand Anthropometry and Structural Glove Sizing: A New Perspective.

Objective: We evaluated the current use and fit of structural firefighting gloves and developed an improved sizing scheme that better accommodates the U.S. firefighter population.

Seat and seatbelt accommodation in fire apparatus: Anthropometric aspects.

This study developed anthropometric information on U.S. firefighters to guide fire-apparatus seat and seatbelt designs and future standards development.

Fall prevention research and practice: a total worker safety approach.

Slips, trips, and falls (STF) represent a serious hazard to workers and occupants in many industries, homes, and communities. Often, the cause of a STF incident is multifactorial, encompassing human, environmental, and task risk factors. A STF-related disability can greatly diminish the occupational capability and quality of life of individuals in both the workplace and the home.

Comparison of measured and self-reported anthropometric information among firefighters: implications and applications.

This study evaluated the accuracy of self-reported body weight and height compared to measured values among firefighters and identified factors associated with reporting error. A total of 863 male and 88 female firefighters in four US regions participated in the study. The results showed that both men and women underestimated their body weight ( - 0.

Sizing firefighters: method and implications.

Objective: This article reports new anthropometric information of U.S. firefighters for fire apparatus design applications (Study 1) and presents a data method to assist in firefighter anthropometric data usage for research-to-practice propositions (Study 2).

Biomechanical loading of the shoulder complex and lumbosacral joints during dynamic cart pushing task.

The primary objective of this study was to quantify the effect of dynamic cart pushing exertions on the biomechanical loading of shoulder and low back. Ten participants performed cart pushing tasks on flat (0°), 5°, and 10° ramped walkways at 20 kg, 30 kg, and 40 kg weight conditions. An optoelectronic motion capturing system configured with two force plates was used for the kinematic and ground reaction force data collection.

Anthropometric procedures for protective equipment sizing and design.

Objectives: This article presented four anthropometric theories (univariate, bivariate/probability distribution, multivariate, and shape-based methods) for protective equipment design decisions.

Background: While the significance of anthropometric information for product design is well recognized, designers continue to face challenges in selecting efficient anthropometric data processing methods and translating the acquired information into effective product designs.

Methods: For this study, 100 farm tractor operators, 3,718 respirator users, 951 firefighters, and 816 civilian workers participated in four studies on the design of tractor roll-over protective structures (ROPS), respirator test panels, fire truck cabs, and fall-arrest harnesses, respectively.

Interventions to prevent injuries in construction workers.

Background: Construction workers are frequently exposed to various types of injury-inducing hazards. A number of injury prevention interventions have been proposed, yet their effectiveness is uncertain.

Objectives: To assess the effects of interventions to prevent injuries in construction workers.

U.S. truck driver anthropometric study and multivariate anthropometric models for cab designs.

Objective: This study presents data from a large-scale anthropometric study of U.S. truck drivers and the multivariate anthropometric models developed for the design of next-generation truck cabs.