YUMA PROVING BODEN, Ariz. It’s hot out there.
American soldiers need equipment that works accurately wherever they are in the world, and for nearly 80 years the US Army’s Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) has subjected virtually every device in the ground combat arsenal to the harshest punishment tests in an extreme desert environment possible.
The testers of this device want to subject it to realistic use under the most extreme climatic conditions – up to and including the breaking of the item. No matter what, YPG wants to protect the personnel involved in this inherently dangerous endeavor.
“We have a mission that needs to be accomplished,” said Wayne Schilders, weapons operations chief. “On the hottest days we look for ways to mitigate this, z missions.”
Planning to mitigate extreme heat is a routine occurrence at YPG – daytime temperatures of over 90 degrees Fahrenheit are normal in Yuma for more than seven months of the year. YPG employees pay particular attention to the heat index and the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT), which estimate the effects of the combination of temperature, humidity, wind speed and solar radiation on people. With every increase in the WBGT above 78 degrees, mitigation measures come into force that stipulate a strict work-rest cycle and are strictly adhered to.
“Every time the heat index rises, they take more breaks: either in the shade or in an air-conditioned vehicle, out of direct sunlight,” said Mike Demcko, director of safety.
Demcko points out that compliance with rest hours is critical to the short and long-term protection of the workforce.
“Once you have severe heat exhaustion or heat stroke, your body becomes much more prone to it in the future,” said Demcko.
The people most susceptible to heat damage are those who are not used to the extremes of Yuma’s summers. Demcko said that proper acclimatization to a desert environment takes an average of two weeks. In addition, the dry heat of the southwestern desert can be insidious to people from other parts of the country and the world who equate overheating with excessive sweating.
“We have to make an extra effort to take care of our visitors,” Schilders said. “Proper acclimatization is the key to avoiding heat damage.”
The key to successfully managing the heat is usually relatively simple. Water and ice are valuable and vital goods to testers of the YPG range, as are portable pop-up tents.
“You’re one of the best things we got our hands on,” Schilders said. “Years ago we didn’t have these – we had to use wooden umbrellas that we moved with a tow truck.”
The working conditions are extreme, but the staff, who do it month after month, year after year, take it with flying colors.
“It’s tough in the summer, but you learn to deal with it,” said Steven Allen, leader of the gun crew. “That is in the nature of a hot weather test bench: when it is hot, customers pile up.”
For many field workers, however, working conditions mean that the temperatures they are routinely exposed to are dramatically above ambient. This is especially true for people who test ground combat vehicles.
“When you sit in the back of the vehicle, it’s a bit like being in a tin shed,” says Chris Ades, mobility device weapons tester. “The metal stores the heat. Even after the sun has set, it will still be hot for a few hours. “
Worse still are the times when the testers have to wear the same body armor, face mask, or other equipment that soldiers wear when using the vehicle in the theater.
YPG’s excellent safety record in an extreme environment with inherently dangerous work is primarily the result of a deeply rooted safety ethic in all areas and at all levels of the test site.
“We all think about the long-term sustainability of the workforce,” said Schilders. “You don’t want to lose employees with years or decades of specialized experience and competence. It is our duty to ensure the well-being of all in a nature hostile to life. ”
| Recording date: | 07/28/2021 |
| Release Date: | 07/28/2021 6:29 PM |
| Story ID: | 401763 |
| Location: | YUMA PROVING BODEN, AZ, USA |
| Web views: | 4th |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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