OPERATIONAL LOAD IN SPECIALIZED POLICE UNITS: ANALYSIS OF CARRIED LOADS AND THEIR IMPACTS ON OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE
Abstract
Specialized police activity requires the continuous transport of personal protective equipment, weapons, and operational accessories, imposing high levels of physical overload on operators. This study aimed to identify, quantify, and compare the operational loads carried by military police officers from different specialized units of the Paraná Military Police, as well as to discuss their potential impacts on operational performance. This is a descriptive, observational, and quantitative study. Specialties belonging to the Riot Police Battalion, Special Police Operations Battalion, Mounted Police Regiment, Independent Company of Ostensive Patrols with Motorcycle Application, and Bomb Squad were analyzed. The equipment was identified through technical interviews with commanding officers and experienced operators and was subsequently weighed individually at the Physical Education and Sports Center of the Paraná Military Police. The results demonstrated a wide variation in operational loads among the analyzed specialties, ranging from 10.35 kg in conventional ostensive policing to 43.75 kg in bomb squad operators. The highest loads were observed in functions related to tactical breaching, rural operations, and bomb disposal activities, exceeding 45% of the reference body mass adopted in the study. Specialties classified as carrying “heavy” and “extreme” loads showed a greater potential for biomechanical and physiological impairment, especially regarding operational mobility, early fatigue, and increased musculoskeletal demand. It is concluded that operational load may limit the physical and functional performance of specialized police officers, reinforcing the importance of ergonomic optimization of equipment, injury prevention strategies, and specific physical training for occupational load carriage.
Author Biographies
Ph.D. candidate at the Federal University of Paraná and Master’s degree holder from the Federal Technological University of Paraná, Curitiba – Paraná, Brazil.
Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (PUC) and Specialist in Exercise Physiology and Exercise Prescription.
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