Effect of a Passive Cooling Vest on Tension/Anxiety and Fatigue in a High Heat and High Humidity Naval Environment
Abstract
Crewmembers aboard U.S. Navy ships in the Persian Gulf theater of operations are subjected to continuous heat strain. During the months of July and August, it is not unusual for this part of the world to reach ambient temperatures in the range of 120-130 deg F with the relative humidity up to 90%. Previous field studies on U.S. Navy ships in the Persian Gulf have shown crewmembers have difficulty falling asleep at lights out, poor quality sleep, falling asleep on the job, physical and psychological fatigue, and feelings of confusion and tension/anxiety. Exposure to heat has also been shown to affect performance capabilities during sustained work. Grether (1973) reported that human performance of such tasks as time estimation, reaction time, vigilance, tracking, and other skilled cognitive operations, show performance decrement in ambient temperatures above 85 deg F.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 16, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADA234657
Entities
People
- Charles V. Chesson Ii
- Guy R. Banta
- J. T. Coyne
- James A. Hodgdon
- Ralph G. Burr
Organizations
- Naval Health Research Center