A Team Effort
Research that makes a difference is a task that takes a combined effort from those who are affected by the issue and those that want to make the change. Our researchers are always looking for people willing to lend a hand and participate in many ways from surveys that provide vital insight into user experience to human subject testing that shows how PPE can effect a person during their job tasks.
Some current research projects within the lab that are in need of participants are described in more detail on this page.
Fire Service
Firefighting Hood
"Design and Performance Improvement for Firefighter Hoods" is a project that is working to improve the comfort and protection of firefighter hoods as they are essential pieces of equipment. Current firefighter hoods face challenges such as material limitations and design flaws that impact firefighters' safety, particularly in relation to carcinogen exposure from smoke particles. Our project aims to address these issues by redesigning the hoods using advanced materials and design techniques, incorporating feedback from both firefighters and purchasing managers.
Survey
The survey below is for firefighters in the field who are using firefighter hoods.
The survey below is for managers who are responsible for the purchasing and management of firefighter gear.
Alaskan Commercial Fishing
Commercial Fishing Gloves
Commercial fishing is a dangerous job that can result in injury or fatalities from the environmental conditions and tasks. Personal protective equipment on the job is talked about, but is focused primarily on personal floatation devices and is limited on recommendations for hand protection. Hands are of specific concern due to the increased likelihood of injury and musculoskeletal disorders in the cold conditions. NexGenPPT is working to fill the knowledge gap surrounding effects of cold and wet conditions on the hand while participating in commercial fishing and address the lack of standards.
Survey
Identifying the needs, experiences, and expectations of fishermen within the workforce is an important step in guiding research toward design, material, and safety protocol evaluation and change. Researchers at NexGenPPT are conducting focus group interviews with commercial fishermen that are over the age of 18 to analyze these areas, working toward developing tools to help improve the selection, standards, and manufacturing hand PPE. If interested in participating, please take the survey below which includes more information on the study, your rights as a participant, demographic information, and contact information for the interviews.
The survey below was created to gather participants for focus group interviews involving commercial fishermen.