A laboratory study was conducted to evaluate the effects of couplings, shape of the container, and width of the tote box on maximum acceptable weight of lift. Ten male college students were required to lift three different tote boxes with handles, one tote box without handles and one mailbag from floor to a bench height (76 cm). A psychophysical methodology was employed to determine the maximum acceptable weight of lift. The results indicated that size, shape and couplings are significant variables to consider when establishing guidelines for maximum acceptable weight.
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