HealthSafety Report
03/19/2013
Andrea Lazarte
Notes:
Last night I changed the Greenhab engineer’s gel band-aid that I put in her finger in the afternoon.
Today in the morning I changed it again in order for the blister to decrease. It seems to be working
because her blister has decreased in size. Unfortunately, there are no more of these, so I recommend
Mission Support to acquire more for the next crew. After dinner we had our regular doses of vitamin
C to prevent from getting colds especially in this changing weather.
Today we will do exercises for about 45 minutes after sending the reports. This routine with
exercises is important for us to stay fit for the rest for the days of our time here in the Hab.
Today´s EVA was about trying different configurations of the stretcher for transporting an injured
crewmember. I – the simulated injured crewmember – provided a unique insight on the various
configurations. I noted that my comfort level was dependent on the different terrain (i.e. rough,
medium and smooth) and the limitations of the spacesuit´s components, especially the helmet.
For the two wheel configuration in rough terrain I experienced discomfort on the back of my head
because of the helmet pressing against my head. While my crewmembers were transporting me in the
stretcher, they passed through paths with a lot of rocks and slopes so every time they stepped one
of those I bumped my head with the helmet. It was a little uncomfortable.
For the medium terrain the soil was sandy so for me the discomfort was less than the rough terrain.
However, I felt unstable compared to the rocky terrain. That’s why my crewmembers had to go slower
and it was difficult for them to maneuver the stretcher. For the flat/smooth terrain I didn’t feel
any kind of discomfort.
For the one wheel configuration, in the rough terrain I experienced more discomfort again because of
the helmet. I felt unstable because with one wheel it was harder to maneuver the stretcher. While my
crewmembers were transporting me I started to get more and more unstable and I started to fall down
from the stretcher because of all the slopes we passed. I felt my body sliding down the suit; it was
a bit uncomfortable.
For the medium terrain the discomfort was the same. For the flat/smooth terrain the transportation
of the injured crewmember was easy even though we used the one wheel configuration. I didn’t feel
any discomfort in this configuration.
_____________________
Andrea Lazarte Aguirre
Health and Safety Officer