Musculoskeletal overexertion injuries, particularly of the low back, are a major problem in industries in which material handling is done by workers. As increasing numbers of injuries indicate, techniques to select persons suitable for material handling need to be improved. After discussing human body functions strained in manual lifting, this paper assesses techniques used to measure the reactions of such body-response variables. Based on this evaluation, a new dynamic testing technique has been developed and used in experiments with 39 subjects. The new isoinertial test has proven to be easily applied and reliable in its results.
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