by Sean D. McKay and Bruce K. Siddle

ii

WHITE PAPER

Product Development

Designing Equipment to Meet the Physiological & Psychological Demands of Today's Warriors

®

The

physiological and psychological demand placed on combatant and rescue personnel is typically unappreciated. Simple tasks can become both difficult and in some instances impossible to perform under survival stress. Considering the stressors found in the operational environments in which our products are utilized, the body's natural reactions to "fight or flight" may actually work against us. These inherent responses include multiple impairments to our vision, our ability to perform fine and complex motor skills and our cognitive processing of information. For example, opening a package with our finger tips can become frustrating and futile after our brain perceives an imminent threat or when we are overwhelmed by our environment. We then revert to opening it with our teeth. Similarly, tying a simple rescue knot after losing precision motor skills becomes so complex that many learned techniques are quickly abandoned and replaced with multiple overhand knots. In order to meet these challenges, North American Rescue has teamed with Bruce K. Siddle and Dave Grossman to research the scientific connection between human physiological and psychological reactions under stress and the critical performance requirements of casualty management. The body's reaction to these stressors during casualty management is collectively known as

Rescue Human Factors

? . In order to increase our customer's ability to excel in these situations, North American Rescue is utilizing an equipment validation process in our product engineering to mitigate many of the inhibiting variables that occur in high stress situations. Our unique product development employs Rescue Human Factors? engineering into our equipment. This simply means that a three stage stop gate criteria governs every skill or piece of equipment we develop. If failure occurs at any stage of the process, the concept is then removed from the system for further evaluation and/or re-engineering. This validation process is designed to cover specific skill sets, equipment selection and product development.

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The

Rescue Human Factors

?

(RHF

? )

criteria consists of the following

Stop Gates: Effective:

Is the skill or equipment effective in accomplishing the desired result?

Through an aggressive preliminary testing process, does it perform as advertised? Emphasis is placed on exploiting foundational strengths and weaknesses.

Efficient:

Is this skill or equipment efficient in the area of operation of its intended use?

Based on the specific area of operation, a skill and/or equipment requirement list should be performed. A list of characteristics pertinent to the environment where the skill and/ or equipment will be utilized must be compiled.

Executable:

Will the rescuer have the capability of performing the skills or utilizing the equipment suggested?

Having the capability of accurately predicting the physiological and psychological effects of survival stress (Rescue Human Factors?) in the specific area of operation is the requirement for this consideration. First, predictable stress levels based on the area of operation and/or phase of care during application are identified. Second, the above information is then utilized to determine technique, equipment and skill selection. Compatibility of skill selection to the area of operation and subsequent sympathetic nervous system (SNS) response is a critical consideration. The environments and situations in which we work innately activate SNS response. Integral understanding of the body's response and its subsequent capabilities are what drive the Rescue Human Factors? engineering process.

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