Examining the impact of protective clothing on range of movement

This chapter will address another of the possible contributors to the increased metabolic rate observed when wearing protective clothing. The nature of the protection required in industries where workers are exposed to extreme cold, heat and fire often means garments are constructed of thick, heavy, insulative material. The impact of these garments on ease of movement, range of motion and work efficiency has been referred to in the literature using various terms; clothing bulk, movement restriction and hobbling effect. But the effects have been hard to measure and quantify and so the possible involvement of clothing bulk in increasing energy cost in the wearer is still not clear.