Part A. (LO 3) Effect of fire on people
The mean thermal inertia of skin has been estimated as 1.7 kW s1/2 m-2 K-1.
The following formula estimates the surface temperature of skin exposed to a constant heat flux:
1995 Physiol. Meas. 16 213
(http://iopscience.iop.org/0967-3334/16/4/002)

How would the “thermal penetration depth” of skin vary with time for someone entering a room-fire
environment?

If the heat flux to the skin was a steady 100 J m-2 s-1 when would a person with normal pain threshold and
skin texture experience pain or a burn:

Data from NIST: http://www.nist.gov/fire/fire_behavior.cfm
º C Response
37 Normal human oral/body temperature
44 Human skin begins to feel pain
48 Human skin receives a first degree burn injury
55 Human skin receives a second degree burn injury
62 A phase where burned human tissue becomes numb
72 Human skin is instantly destroyed

Part B. (LO 3) Impact of explosions on people

Critically review what barotrauma is and how it might be related to Boyles Law.

Explain how ‘scaled range’ is computed and used in assessing the effects of an explosive on people (primary
blast effects, in particular), property & environment.