Job demands and assessment of the physical work capacity of fire fighters

The purpose of this study was to analyze physical job demands in firefighting and rescue work and to develop and evaluate procedures for the assessment of fire fighters' physical work capacity. Five studies were performed to attain this goal. In the questionnaire study the respondents were 156 professional fire fighters with the mean age of 36 years. From 12 to 59 male fire fighters participated in the laboratory and field studies, and their mean age varied from 23 to 39 years. According to the questionnaire, the most demanding fire-fighting and rescue tasks on physical work capacity in terms of cardiorespiratory capacity, muscular performance and motor coordination were smoke-diving, which requires the use of full personal protective equipment, clearing tasks with heavy manual tools, and roof work, respectively. During the past five years, 83-88% of the fire fighters, regardless of age, had performed each of these tasks four times a year, on average. Smoke-diving imposed a heavy cardiorespiratory load. The mean oxygen consumption was 2.4 1/min corresponding to 60% of the maximal oxygen consumption. Heart rate averaged 150 beats/min, being 79% of the maximal heart rate. A biomechanically analyzed clearing task produced a high load on the musculoskeletal system, particularly according to the mean dynamic compressive force of 6228 N at the vertebral disc L5/Sl. The amount of force was about equal in both young and aging subjects. The developed job-related treadmill test protocol and the work site test drill for the assessment of the cardiorespiratory work capacity of fire fighters for smoke-diving proved to be valid and feasible. The job demands on physical work capacity remained high during the occupational career of fire fighters. In practice, the cardiorespiratory work capacity of fire fighters for smoke-diving can be assessed reliably with the developed treadmill and work drill tests. The tests are necessary in the planning and carrying out of preventive measures for maintaining the work ability of fire fighters.