Costs and benefits of training to prevent heat and cold injuries
conference paper
Preparation for deployment in hot or cold climates often involves training or acclimation in order to perform adequately in theater. The cost–benefit analysis of such preparation is rarely performed. Therefore, we compared heat acclimatization (in a natural environment) and heat acclimation (in climatic chambers) with no preparation for deployment in the heat using a simple model. For cold deployment, we compared a short training program and a selection procedure based on cold injury susceptibility with no preparation. The results showed that investment in an eight-day heat acclimat(izat)ion program only becomes cost effective when the temperature in theater is rather high (>38°C for the chosen parameters). The benefits of training for operations in the cold and selection based on cold injury susceptibility generally outweigh the costs. Although the model is a simplification of reality, it may be a useful tool to assess the impact of measures to enhance operational effectiveness in heat and cold.
Er is een model gebouwd om de kosten en baten van voorbereiding voor militaire acties in warme en koude gebieden in kaart te krijgen.
TNO Identifier
461797
Source title
SAS-095 Workshop on Cost/Benefit analysis of military training. Amsterdam, June 2012