STUDY OF COGNITIVE INDICATORS OF RESCUERS WHEN WORKING IN THE ISOLATING APPARATUS WITH COMPRESSED AIR

Abstract

Purpose. A study of the cognitive indicators of rescuers when working in an isolation apparatus on compressed air and a panoramic mask regarding the assessment of the impact on the reaction time of processing critical information for decision-making. Methods. 5 men aged between 25 and 35, who are rank-and-file members of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine and have permission to use this type of PPE, took part in the study. The experiment was conducted in a typical fire and rescue unit. During the study, the time and speed of response of rescuers wearing compressed air apparatus to a stimulus were determined, which allows us to assess the speed of decision-making when performing professional activities in a polluted working environment. The tasks were performed in the absence of physical exertion: once in the apparatus, another time – without the apparatus (control value). The tasks measured the ability to suppress obstacles (Stroop Color Word test), visual search speed, processing speed and mental flexibility, reaction speed (Trailmaking Halstead–Reitan test), level of attention and logic of thinking (Raven’s test), anxiety level (IDRlabs resource. com). Three main tasks were performed by the research participant for 40 minutes, after which a test was performed to determine the level of anxiety. Results. The ability to suppress obstacles, reaction speed, and level of logical thinking did not differ significantly between the control value and when wearing an isolation device on compressed air. When performing any task to determine the speed of reaction and logic of thinking when wearing an artificial apparatus on compressed air, the results did not have significant differences. At the same time, the level of anxiety during tasks was 8% higher when using an artificial apparatus on compressed air than without it. Originality. It was established that when wearing an artificial apparatus on compressed air, the level of stress load and anxiety of users when performing mental tasks increases due to increased load on the cardiovascular system. Practicality. The results show that short-term wearing of an artificial device on compressed air in the absence of other influences does not impair cognitive performance, which indicates the absence of additional risks when using personal protective equipment for users when performing industrial tasks.