Waters TR, Putz-Anderson V, Garg A, Fine LJ, et al.
Ergonomics. Date of publication 1993 Jul 1;volume 36(7):749-76.
1. Ergonomics. 1993 Jul;36(7):749-76. doi: 10.1080/00140139308967940.
Revised NIOSH equation for the design and evaluation of manual lifting tasks.
Waters TR(1), Putz-Anderson V, Garg A, Fine LJ.
Author information:
(1)National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH 45226.
In 1985, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
convened an ad hoc committee of experts who reviewed the current literature on
lifting, recommend criteria for defining lifting capacity, and in 1991 developed
a revised lifting equation. Subsequently, NIOSH developed the documentation for
the equation and played a prominent role in recommending methods for
interpreting the results of the equation. The 1991 equation reflects new
findings and provides methods for evaluating asymmetrical lifting tasks, lifts
of objects with less than optimal hand-container couplings, and also provides
guidelines for a larger range of work durations and lifting frequencies than the
1981 equation. This paper provides the basis for selecting the three criteria
(biomechanical, physiological, and psychophysical) that were used to define the
1991 equation, and describes the derivation of the individual components
(Putz-Anderson and Waters 1991). The paper also describes the lifting index
(LI), an index of relative physical stress, that can be used to identify
hazardous lifting tasks. Although the 1991 equation has not been fully
validated, the recommended weight limits derived from the revised equation are
consistent with or lower than those generally reported in the literature. NIOSH
believes that the revised 1991 lifting equation is more likely than the 1981
equation to protect most workers.
DOI: 10.1080/00140139308967940
PMID: 8339717 [Indexed for MEDLINE]
