Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38972717›Full record

ArticleErgonomics2025

Evaluation of self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) weight on firefighter stamina, comfort, and postural stability.

Richard M Kesler, Jeffrey Powell, Dac Nguyen, Kristen A Massey, Sarthak Joshi, Susan Xu, Ziqing Zhuang, Gavin P Horn, Nicholas A Burd, Farzaneh Masoud

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Ergonomics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Richard M KeslerFire Safety Research Institute, UL Research Institutes, Columbia, MD, USA.
Jeffrey PowellNational Personal Protective Technologies Laboratory, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Dac NguyenFire Service Institute, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA.
Kristen A MasseyFire Service Institute, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA.
Sarthak JoshiFire Service Institute, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA.
Susan XuNational Personal Protective Technologies Laboratory, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Ziqing ZhuangNational Personal Protective Technologies Laboratory, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Gavin P HornFire Safety Research Institute, UL Research Institutes, Columbia, MD, USA.
Nicholas A BurdDepartment of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA.
Farzaneh MasoudFire Service Institute, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA.

Funding

Intramural CDC HHS CC999999
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Firefighters wear personal protective equipment to protect them from the thermal and chemical environment in which they operate. The self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) provides isolation of the airway from the hazardous fireground. National standards limit SCBA weight, however, integration of additional features could result in an SCBA exceeding the current limit. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of increased SCBA weight on firefighters' physiological responses, work output, dynamic stability, and comfort. Completion of simulated firefighting activities induced a strong physiological response. Peak oxygen consumption was higher with the lightest SCBA than the heaviest SCBA. Few other physiological differences were noted as SCBA weight increased. Importantly, increased SCBA weight resulted in significantly more negative perceptions by the firefighters and a trend towards significance for the duration of work time prior to reaching volitional fatigue. These results should be considered when assessing changes to existing SCBA weight limits.

Indexed as

FirefightersPostureRespiratory Protective DevicesAdultEquipment DesignFemaleHeart RateHumansMaleMiddle AgedOxygen ConsumptionYoung Adultfirefightingfunctional balancePersonal protective equipment (PPE)self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)

Identifiers

PMID38972717
PMCPMC11704086

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.