Abstract
Professional firefighters participated in a study that compared physical demands and task performance measures as three hand-carried devices, three track-type evacuation chairs, and three evacuation sleds were used to transport an occupant down flights of stairs that included two landings. Two staircase widths, 1.1 and 1.3 m, were evaluated as the width of the stairs was hypothesized to affect the dependent measures which included heart rate, electromyographic response, and decent velocity. The data indicate there were trade-offs between the types of evacuation devices with some showing high physical demands on the stairs while others showed high demands on the landings. Overall, track-type devices and sled-type devices resulted in reduced physical demands relative to the hand-carried devices.
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