Identification of physically demanding tasks performed during bushfire suppression by Australian rural firefighters Matthew Phillips a, b , Warren Payne c , Cara Lord a, b , Kevin Netto a , David Nichols b, d , Brad Aisbett a, b, * a School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Vic, Australia b Bushfire Co-Operative Research Centre, East Melbourne, Vic, Australia c Institute for Sport, Exercise and Active Living, Victoria University, Footscray, Vic, Australia d Country Fire Authority, Burwood East, Vic, Australia article info Article history: Received 3 September 2010 Accepted 23 June 2011 Keywords: Firefighting Job task analysis Task demands Occupational physiology abstract Purpose: To identify and characterize the physically demanding tasks undertaken during multi-day wildfire (known as bushfire in Australia) suppression by Australian rural firefighters. Methods: During semi-structured group interviews, thirty-one experienced male firefighters reviewed 53 firefighting tasks that could be performed during tanker-based bushfire suppression. Participants were asked to nominate the most physically demanding tasks and then define their typical frequencies, durations, operational importance and the dominant actions and activity types in each task. Results: Seven tasks were identified as physically demanding. They were further categorized into three hose and four handtool (e.g., rakehoe) related activities. These tasks were assessed as moderately important to critical and were thought to occur less than one up to 700 times in a four-month bushfire ‘season’. Each task’s duration was estimated to last approximately 2e30 min depending on the task. Dominant actions were carry, drag, dig/rake actions in seven, three and four of the demanding tasks, respectively. ‘Strength-endurance’ was the dominant activity type for five of the seven tasks. Conclusion: Seven fireground tasks, three using a hose and four using handtools were classified as physically demanding by incumbent firefighters. The combination of hose and handtool work indicates that the tanker-based bushfire suppression tactics used by Australian rural firefighters appears to be a hybrid of structural and wildfire firefighting techniques and may require a dedicated physiological analyses before the job demands for these firefighters can be quantified. Ó 2011 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Wildland fires are an annual threat to communities in Australia, North America, and Southern Europe (Hunter, 2003; Hyde et al., 2008; Schmuck et al., 2004). Each of these continents have suffered catastrophic fires in the past decade (Bushfire Co-Operative Research Centre, 2009; Hunter, 2003; Hyde et al., 2008; Schmuck et al., 2004). The frequency, severity and duration of these fires are also increasing (Hennessy et al., 2005). The prospect of more frequent and longer fires places increasing demand on wildland firefighters worldwide as they strive to safeguard people and property. Safeguarding Australians from the annual threat of bushfires are volunteer and career firefighters from Australia’s fire and land management agencies (McLennan, 2004). Fire crews from land management agencies primarily rely on ‘dry’ fire suppression techniques to curtail the spread of fire (AFAC, 2002). These suppression tactics comprise clearing combustible fuel (e.g., small shrubs, plant litter) to create fire breaks of bare earth by earth moving machinery (e.g., bulldozer, grader) and teams of firefighters using handtools (e.g., rakes, chainsaws; AFAC, 2002). Previous research has quantified the core job tasks (AFAC, 2002), work patterns (Budd et al., 1997a), and physiological responses (Budd et al., 1997b) of the dry fire suppression techniques employed by land management fire crews. In contrast, far less is known about the work demands faced by the 207,000 rural fire service volunteers (McLennan, 2004) who provide the backbone of Australia’s bushfire safeguards. Close inspection of volunteer fire agency training manuals in fire-prone south eastern Australia (e.g., Bush Firefighter Workbook, 2003; Wildfire Firefighter: Learning Manual, 2006) reveals that whilst crews can use suppression techniques favoured by land management agencies, rural fire service crews appear to primarily * Corresponding author. School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Hwy, Burwood, Vic 3125, Australia. Tel.: þ61 3 9244 6474; fax: þ61 3 9244 6017. E-mail address: brad.aisbett@deakin.edu.au (B. Aisbett). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Applied Ergonomics journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/apergo 0003-6870/$ e see front matter Ó 2011 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2011.06.018 Applied Ergonomics 43 (2012) 435e441