This investigation was aimed to study using the psychophysical method if the revised weight limit of lifts recommended by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) can be used as a limit for the Korean workers. College students and field workers, all of whom were young males, participated in the experiment. The psychophysical experiment and the validation experiment were performed in sagittal plane where lifting frequency and lifting height varied. Main results showed the load constant obtained in this study was about the same as the one recommended in the NIOSH equation, which means that young, healthy, male Korean population can be well protected by the NIOSH equation.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
ChaffinD.B.AnderssonG.B.J.1991. Occupational Biomechanics, 2nd edition, John Wiley & Sons, New York
2.
FernandezJ.E.AyoubM.M.1987. Maximum acceptable weight lifted over extended periods, Trends in Ergonomics/Human Factors IV, AsfourS.S., (ed.), Elsevier
3.
Ministry of Labor.1991. Analysis of Occupational Injuries, Seoul, Korea
4.
MitalA.1983. The psychophysical approach to manual lifting: A verification study, Human Factors, 25, 485–491
5.
NIOSH, 1981. Work Practices Guide for Manual Lifting, Report No. 81–122, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, Ohio
6.
SnookS.H.IrvineC.H.1967. Maximum acceptable weights of lift. American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal, 28, 322–329
7.
SnookS.H.CirielloV.M.1991. The design of manual handling tasks: Revised tables of maximum acceptable weights and forces. Ergonomics, 34, 1197–1213
8.
WatersT.R.Putz-AndersonV.GargA.FineL.J.1993. Revised NIOSH equation for the design and evaluation manual lifting tasks. Ergonomics, 36, 749–776
