PHYSIOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF APPLICANTS TO FOREST FIRE FIGHTERS AS PREVENTIVE PROCESS OF OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH

Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to analyze the importance of physiological methods as preventive tool for the protection of the applicants for the work of forest fire fighters. This activity demands heavy physical work, leading to fatigue and dehydration, and in extreme cases to heat stroke and death. The population studied corresponds to 1431 males from 18 to 29 years of age. They were evaluated at the Unit of Ergonomics of the University of Concepcion between 2001 and 2006. The physiological variables considered were body fat percentage and aerobic capacity, expressed as liters of oxygen per minute and milliliters of oxygen per minute and per kilogram of body weight. The results showed that 7.8% didn’t have the minimum physical fitness aptitude required to carry out this activity, 56,7% exceeded the limits of body fat and only 34,3% of the applicants fulfilled the three physiological criteria taken as reference. In conclusion, criteria for safety performance of heavy manual work and the availability of simple, non-invasive and low cost techniques for the evaluation of workers are powerful toolsfor the development of preventive actions to protect safety and health of the working population.