Methods for assessing the physical demands of manual lifting: A review andcase study from warehousing

Assessment of the physical demands of potentially hazardous manual material handling (MMH) activities is fundamental to the prevention of disabilities from occupationally related low back pain, a problem costing the nation bi llions of dollars annually. Although there is a variety of ergonomic assess ment methods available for assessing MMH activities, there is a lack of pra ctical information to assist users in choosing the most appropriate assessm ent methods for a particular job. This article reviews currently available assessment methods and presents case study results of a physically demandin g repetitive manual lifting job in two grocery warehouses. The case study w ill provide a framework for a comparison of the methods and a discussion of relevant application issues designed to assist users in selecting appropri ate methods for assessing MMH jobs. Based on the results of the study, it i s concluded that all of the ergonomic methods were in agreement that the jo b of grocery selector has a high level of risk for low back pain. Differenc es between the methods were noted, however, that should be considered when choosing a specific method for a specific application.