Immersion Suit Donning in Dynamic Environments: Implications for Design, Construction & Use

Marine abandonment immersion suits are a vital piece of safety equipment intended to protect individuals from exposure to harsh environmental elements. The operational effectiveness of a well maintained and fitted suit depends on the ability of a user to correctly don a suit system. Thirty-two participants performed immersion suit donning trials in six experimental conditions. Dynamic, pre-abandonment marine emergency scenarios were simulated using a six degrees of freedom motion platform and varying environmental lighting levels. This article details user-suit interaction challenges encountered throughout immersion suit donning tasks and examines their connection to safety and survival in marine emergencies. Analysis of user-suit functionality during the donning process is critical for identifying current deficiencies in order to develop future design solutions, training methodologies and ultimately improve users’ practical competencies.