THE GOALS IN DESIGNING A BUNKER SUIT

Lymae has as far back as 1991 introduced the Bunny style Jacket which concentrates on protecting the vital areas of the kidneys as well as the upper torso but reducing the weight of the suit, a vital factor in stress. This design also improved the ventilation thereby addressing a further factor in heat stress. The jacket design is also applied in the traditional long jacket, with great success.
Weight is another vital factor in heat stress, especially in our warm climate. The selection of the various layers of materials to build a suit determines, to a large extent, the success of a suit. It is not difficult to attain a very high protective ability but this must be coupled with a realistic weight and comfort. The following material options was chosen with this in mind and an TPP exceeding the NFPA's specified 35 can be guaranteed.

Due to the nature of the firefighter's daily work all the above factors are ever present. It is of the utmost importance to keep these factors in mind when designing a garment which will be able to minimise the stress effect on the firefighter.

It is common knowledge that stress is the leading cause of firefighter fatalities in the world and the annual statistics is proof of this. The stress can either be brought about by the environment, such as the heat from a fire or by a high physical workload. High adrenaline release also brings about stress as a result of a higher calorie consumption.

Stress management remains the over-riding goal of responsible protective clothing design.

Stress management remains the over-riding goal of responsible protective clothing design.