Research

Peer-reviewed publications

Sixteen peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters on firefighter thermal physiology, occupational heat strain, protective equipment design and the physical demands of emergency response.

Dr Anthony Walker has 37 research outputs, nearly 600 citations and an h-index of 12 in occupational thermal physiology and the physical demands of emergency response. The peer-reviewed record covers firefighter heat strain and core temperature measurement, post-incident cooling, immune and inflammatory responses to working in the heat, protective clothing and boot design, body composition, and age-based fitness standards for urban fire services. Most of the work was conducted while he was serving operationally with ACT Fire and Rescue.

Peer reviewed

Which peer-reviewed papers has Anthony Walker published?

  1. Women Firefighters' Health and Well-Being: An International Survey. Watkins E, Walker A, Mol E, et al. Women's Health Issues 29(5); 2019. doi:10.1016/j.whi.2019.02.003
  2. Reaction Time to Visual Stimulus in Firefighters and Healthy Trained Subjects: A Preliminary Comparative Study. Perroni F, Mol E, Walker A, et al. The Open Sports Sciences Journal 11:69-76; 2018. doi:10.2174/1875399X01811010069
  3. Comparison of Body Composition Assessment Methods in Professional Urban Firefighters. Smee D, Walker A, Rattray B, et al. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 29(3); 2018. doi:10.1123/ijsnem.2018-0040
  4. Ankle restrictive firefighting boots alter the lumbar biomechanics during landing tasks. Vu V, Walker A, Ball NB, Spratford W. Applied Ergonomics 65; 2017. doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2017.06.006
  5. Protective firefighting boots and their impact on the lower body and injury: a narrative review. Spratford W, Vu V, Ball NB, Walker A. Occupational Ergonomics 13(3):147-155; 2017. doi:10.3233/OER-170246
  6. Improving Body Composition May Reduce the Immune and Inflammatory Responses of Firefighters Working in the Heat. Walker A, Wright Beatty HE, Zanetti S, Rattray B. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 59(4); 2017. doi:10.1097/JOM.0000000000000980
  7. The Reliability of a 5km Run Test on a Motorized Treadmill. Driller MW, Brophy-Williams N, Walker A. Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science 21(3):121-126; 2016. doi:10.1080/1091367X.2016.1264402
  8. Perception or reality: can thermal perceptions inform management of firefighters in the heat? Walker A, Rattray B, Brearley M. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene 14(4); 2016. doi:10.1080/15459624.2016.1240871
  9. Chronic occupational exposures can influence the rate of PTSD and depressive disorders in first responders and military personnel. Walker A, McKune AJ, Ferguson S, et al. Extreme Physiology & Medicine 5(1); 2016. doi:10.1186/s13728-016-0049-x
  10. Water immersion for post incident cooling of firefighters: a review of practical fire ground cooling modalities. Brearley M, Walker A. Extreme Physiology & Medicine 4(1); 2015. doi:10.1186/s13728-015-0034-9
  11. Accuracy of tympanic measurement in firefighters completing a simulated structural firefighting task. Keene T, Brearley M, Walker A. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine; 2015.
  12. Immune and inflammatory responses of Australian firefighters after repeated exposures to the heat. Walker A, Keene T, Argus C, et al. Ergonomics; 2015. doi:10.1080/00140139.2015.1051596
  13. Repeat work bouts increase thermal strain for Australian firefighters working in the heat. Walker A, Argus C, Driller MW, Rattray B. International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health 21(4):285; 2015. doi:10.1179/2049396715Y.0000000006
  14. Cold-water immersion and iced-slush ingestion are effective at cooling firefighters following a simulated search and rescue task in a hot environment. Walker A, Driller MW, Brearley M, et al. Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism 39(10):1159-1166; 2014. doi:10.1139/apnm-2014-0038
  15. Physiological responses to design adaptations in firefighting PPC during simulated firefighting tasks. Walker A, Driller MW, Argus C, Rattray B. In: Edwards A, Leicht A, eds. Science of Sport, Exercise and Physical Activity in the Tropics. New York: Nova Science Publishers; 2014.
  16. The ageing Australian firefighter: an argument for age-based recruitment and fitness standards for urban fire services. Walker A, Driller MW, Argus C, et al. Ergonomics 57(4):612-621; 2014. doi:10.1080/00140139.2014.887790
Conference

Which conference papers and abstracts are on the record?

  1. Immune responses of urban firefighters following work in the heat. Extreme Physiology & Medicine 4(S1), supplement abstract; 2015. doi:10.1186/2046-7648-4-S1-A107
  2. Perception and reality: re-entry into fire scenes should be subject to physiological monitoring. AFAC and Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC Annual Conference, Adelaide; 2015.
  3. Poor body composition increases peak immune responses in the heat. AFAC15 New Directions in Emergency Management; 2015.
  4. Increased platelets may increase cardiac risk for up to 24 hours. AFAC15 New Directions in Emergency Management; 2015.
  5. Fat or fit: does body composition or fitness affect immune and inflammatory changes of firefighters in the heat? 20th Annual Conference of the European College of Sport Science, Malmo; 2015.
  6. Water immersion cooling of firefighters: forearms or multiple body segments? AFAC and Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC Conference; 2014.
  7. Iced slush and cold-water immersion are effective at rapidly reducing core temperatures of urban firefighters following emergency response. AFAC and Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC Conference; 2014.
  8. Ageing firefighters may impair the quality of emergency responses. AFAC and Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC Conference, Wellington; 2014.
  9. Does increasing age result in declining physical standards of firefighters? 6th Annual Exercise and Sports Science Australia Conference; 2014.
  10. Physiological responses to design adaptations in PPC during simulated firefighting tasks. Science of Sport, Exercise and Physical Activity in the Tropics Conference; 2013.
  11. The effect of different recovery methods in lowering core temperature following a simulated firefighting task. Science of Sport, Exercise and Physical Activity in the Tropics Conference; 2013.
In practice

How does this research inform the consulting work?

The measurement methods in these papers are the same ones used in practice. Core temperature and heat strain work underpins fatigue risk management and roster design; the protective equipment and anthropometric studies underpin human systems integration reviews of platforms and equipment; and the physical employment standards work underpins entry and retention standards for operational roles. The delivery vehicle is The Crucible Method, Optimised Human Performance's Scan, Sprint and Build framework.

Profiles: ORCID · ResearchGate · Google Scholar

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How many peer-reviewed publications does Anthony Walker have?

Thirty-seven research outputs in total, of which sixteen are peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, listed in full on this page. The remainder are conference papers, datasets and conference posters.

What field is the research in?

Occupational thermal physiology and the physical demands of emergency response: heat strain, core temperature measurement, post-incident cooling, immune and inflammatory responses to heat exposure, protective equipment design, and physical employment standards.

Where can the full research record be found?

ORCID 0000-0003-0913-2192, ResearchGate and Google Scholar all carry the complete record, including datasets and conference posters not listed on this page.

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