Survey of manual handling tasks

The purpose of this study was to tabulate and summarize the characteristics of typical manual handling tasks (lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling and carrying) performed at 2442 industrial locations in the United States. Analyses of manual handling tasks during a 13 yr period were collected and reviewed at the Liberty Mutual Research Center for Safety and Health. The components of each manual handling task were summarized into median composite tasks. Most lifting, lowering, and carrying tasks were acceptable to a low percentage of the female population based on psychophysically determined criteria. The extreme ranges found in some tasks also present unacceptable loads for males. The NIOSH Lifting Indexes for the median lifting and lowering tasks were 1.9 and 1.8, respectively, also indicating a need for job redesign. Median pushing and pulling tasks were acceptable to a high percentage of the male and female industrial population. This survey may be used as a guide for scientists when developing research designs in the area of manual handling. Relevance to industry This is a comprehensive survey of manual handling tasks that represent a broad base of US industry. The results can be used to prioritize the research of task variables which are most prevalent and represent the highest risks. Industry can also use the survey as a gauge for their own operations. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.