Over the centuries, hundreds of
humans have drowned in cold water. Immersion suits, also known
as survival suits, are made to ‘reduce the thermal shock that one gets upon
entry into cold water, and delay the onset of hypothermia when a person
immersed in cold water, by providing easy flotation and minimizing the risk of
drowning.’ Immersion suits can also be known as constant wear suits and
abandonment suits, and the requirement of such a
lifesaving appliance has been illustrated in numerous sea accidents, where such
suits have saved many human lives.
Immersion suits are heavily used
in several essential professions (e.g., marine passengers, helicopter pilots,
and offshore oil industry workers). The preferred conditions of immersion suits
may be as low as 0℃ (sea water freezes below 0℃) or as
high as 100℃ (flame can cause the rise of water temperature). Over
the years, progress has been made in improving the performance of immersion
suits. For example, aerogel foam and phase change materials assimilated
neoprene foam are developed; bench-top and thermal manikin tests have been
introduced to evaluate fabric and garment performance under dangerous
conditions, including cold water, chemicals, and micro-organisms. However, the
development of high-performance suits is still minimal, and researchers
worldwide are more focused on issues such as the development of new materials,
fit and size of the suit, water integrity of seals, care and use of immersion
suits, and evaluation using thermal dummies.
The wearers of immersion suits or
survival suits may experience multi-hazard environments, not only cold water
but also flames and hot liquids under some circumstances. Therefore, heat
stress is the main issue when helicopter pilots wear an immersion suit, and
more research is essential to know about the heat stress generated by these
suits during different conditions. More extensive and accurate models need to
be evolved to foresee the heat stress when a wearer is in different
environmental conditions.
Fit is one of the critical issues
of concern for immersion suits to supply sufficient thermal protection.
Universal-size immersion suits, designed to fit individuals with an extensive
range of heights and weights, can lead to leaking around neck and wrist seals
or at the zippers.
The people who wear immersion
suits or survival suits may come across multi-hazard environments, not only
cold water but also hot liquids and flames. Western Fire Safety designs
certified flexible immersion suits and imperial immersion suits.
Visit their website
https://www.westernfireandsafety.com and look at the Immersion suits offered
by them.