Fact Sheet on Purpose Built Cooling Pads and Arm Immersion Cooling System

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) continuously reviews and identifies ways to strengthen our safety management and training system, with the goal of achieving zero training fatalities. In the latest review conducted in May 2018, the SAF will be widening existing efforts by introducing Arm Immersion Cooling System and Purpose Built Cooling Pads to prevent and manage heat injuries. Implementation will be done in phases across the Army. 

Arm Immersion Cooling System (AICS)

The AICS is a simple and efficient method to cool the body's core temperature through the full submersion of hands and forearms into iced water. AICS is used by the United States' and Australian militaries, and has been implemented in units such as the Basic Military Training Centre (BMTC), Officer Cadet School (OCS) and Specialist Cadet School (SCS) which conduct high intensity training.  

Benefits and Implementation of AICS

AICS has been found to be effective in cooling body core temperature as water removes heat 25 times greater than that of air. Forearms are highly vascularised with a large surface area relative to body mass, which increases blood flow to the skin as body temperature increases. As such, submerging the forearms cools the blood, which flows directly back to the body, reducing body core temperature. 
 
The SAF will implement AICS in phases from Aug 2018 onwards for fast marches, and route marches spanning 12km and above. 

Purpose Built Cooling Pads

Purpose Built Cooling Pads is a surface cooling system. It will replace the current use of six ice packs as the immediate on-site cooling measure of suspected heat injuries by medics when managing heat injury casualties. Purpose Built Cooling Pads extract heat when applied directly to the body over multiple areas. 

Benefits and Implementation for Purpose Built Cooling Pads

Purpose Built Cooling Pads cool 15 times faster than ice, and 58 times faster than water. In a study done by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the DSO National Laboratories (DSO), the Purpose Built Cooling Pads demonstrated a cooling rate of 0.12°C per minute, which is approximately 4 times faster than the 0.03°C per minute by ice packs. Immediate and effective cooling is key in the management of heat injuries. These Purpose Built Cooling Pads are easily applied onto the skin and are portable, making it feasible for implementation in a field setting. 

These Purpose Built Cooling Pads have already been implemented to support various units in the SAF, including our overseas training and the Emergency Ambulance Services. The SAF will implement the use of Purpose Built Cooling Pads across the SAF in phases, starting from Aug 2018.

More Resources

Ministerial Statement by Minister for Defence, Dr Ng Eng Hen, on Findings and Follow-Up Actions on National Service Training Death for Parliament Sitting on 6 August 2018

External Review Panel on SAF Safety - Comments on the Committee of Inquiry's Preliminary Findings on the Death of CFC Dave Lee Han Xuan

Heat Injury Management in the SAF - A Report by the External Review Panel on Heat Injury Management

SAF Implements Additional Measures to Reduce Heat Injury Risks