Investigation of the Contribution of Garment Design to Thermal Protection. Part 2: Instrumented Female Mannequin Flash-fire Evaluation System

The purpose of this research was to gain insight into how well women were protected from thermal hazards when wearing garments designed for women compared to garments designed for men. A three-dimensional body scanner was used to measure the size and distribution of air gaps between a female mannequin and thermal protective coveralls (Part 1). In Part 2, a flash-fire instrumented female mannequin evaluation system was used to investigate the effect of garment style and fit on thermal protection. The findings demonstrated that air gap size had a positive correlation with time to burn injury and a negative correlation with energy absorbed. Garment style and fit influenced protection, as the inappropriate fit of the women’s style compared to the men’s made some areas of the female mannequin more susceptible to burns than others.