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William J. Tharion

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Publications by William J. Tharion (bibliography)

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1994
 
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Rice, Valerie J. B., Tharion, William J. and Sharp, Marilyn A. (1994): The Effects of a Stretcher-Carry Harness on Soldier Performance: Carrying from a Remote Area. In: Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 38th Annual Meeting 1994. pp. 568-572.

This study investigated whether the use of a shoulder harness and team size would affect stretcher-carry performance and post-carry rifle marksmanship and fine-motor coordination following a carry from a remote site. Soldiers (12 male and 11 female) carried stretchers in two-and four-person teams, with and without a shoulder harness. Soldiers carried a stretcher at 4.8 km/hr for as long as possible, up to 30 min. Soldiers fired at targets and completed a fine-motor coordination task before and after each carry. Analysis of Variance and post-hoc Newman-Keuls Comparison of Means revealed significant rifle shooting impairments after stretcher-carrying (p < 0.001). Men carried the stretcher longer than women (p < 0.0001). Harness use and carrying in four-person teams prolonged carry time for both men and women, without decreasing shooting accuracy. Completion of a fine-motor coordination task was faster after using a harness vs a hand carry (p = 0.03) and working in four vs two-person teams (p < 0.02). Heart rate was lower during harness carries (p < 0.001). In conclusion, the ability to transport, medically treat, and protect patients is improved by harness use and working in four-person teams. It is suggested the policy of using four-person teams be enforced, and harness systems be included with the supply of stretchers for any situation that requires continuous stretcher-carrying of five minutes for four-person teams or two minutes for two-person teams.

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Rice, Valerie J. B., Tharion, William J. and Sharp, Marilyn A. (1994): The Effects of a Stretcher-Carry Harness on Soldier Performance: A Mass Casualty Simulation. In: Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 38th Annual Meeting 1994. pp. 573-577.

This study investigated whether the use of a shoulder harness and team size would affect stretcher-carry performance, post-carry rifle marksmanship, and post-carry fine-motor coordination during a mass casualty simulation. Twelve male and eleven female soldiers volunteered. Soldiers carried stretchers in two- and four-person teams, with and without a shoulder harness in a 15-minute bout of rapid, short stretcher-carries and lifts. Soldiers completed as many carries as possible within the allowed period. Soldiers completed a marksmanship and fine-motor coordination task before and after each 15-minute period. Analysis of Variance and post hoc Newman-Keuls Comparison of Means revealed significant rifle shooting impairments after stretcher-carrying (p < 0.02). Men completed more carries than women (p < 0.0001), and more four-person hand carries were completed than other team size x harness combinations (p < 0.01). Women's rifle marksmanship was better when carrying in four-person teams (p < 0.05), while men's rifle marksmanship performance was not significantly altered. The fine-motor coordination task was completed faster after using a harness (p = 0.03) and working in four-person teams (p < 0.02). The ability to transport, medically treat, and protect patients is improved by working in four-person teams. In conclusion, for a mass casualty scenario, tactical planning should allow for enough soldiers to be deployed to allow stretcher-carrying in four-person teams. A harness system should be available for exigencies requiring two-person teams.

© All rights reserved Rice et al. and/or Human Factors Society

 
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May 23

Knowledge is commonly socially constructed, through collaborative efforts towards shared objectives or by dialogues and challenges brought about by different persons' perspectives.

-- G. Salomon (in "Distributed Cognitions: Psychological and Educational Considerations")

 
 

Featured chapter

Read the fascinating history of Wearable Computing, told by its father, Steve Mann

Read Steve's chapter !

 
 

Help us help you!