submitted by William A. Groves
C.6.b

• NIOSH first developed a lifting equation in
1981 to aid in evaluating lifting demands
• Original equation was widely used by occupational health practitioners since it provided an empirical method for estimating a weight limit for different manual lifting tasks
– Useful for identifying lifting tasks that posed a risk for developing low back pain
– Limited to sagittal plane lifting tasks – no asymmetry or rotation out of longitudinal plane

• A revised lifting equation was developed and initially presented in 1991
– Documentation and an application manual were subsequently developed and released in
1993-94.
– Based on more recent research
– Provided methods for evaluating asymmetrical lifting tasks, and lifts of objects with less than optimal coupling between object and worker’s hands

• NIOSH Lifting Equation represents only one tool in a comprehensive effort to prevent work-related low back pain and disability
– Lifting is only one of the causes of low back pain
– Psychosocial factors, medical treatment, and job demands can also play an important role

1. Physiological
• limit energy expenditure (3.5 Kcal/min)
2. Biomechanical
• limit compression on L5/S1 disc (770 lb)
3. Psychophysical
• 75% of female population capable of lift
4. Epidemiological
• consider risk to “fit” and “susceptible” populations

• Does NOT apply to:
– Lifting/lowering with one hand
– Lifting/lowering for over 8 hrs
– Lifting/lowering while seated or kneeling
– Lifting/lowering in a restricted work space
– Lifting/lowering unstable object
– Lifting/lowering while carrying, pushing, or pulling

• Does NOT apply to:
– Lifting/lowering with wheelbarrows or shovels
– Lifting/lowering with high speed motion
(faster than 30 in./sec)
– Lifting/lowering with poor foot/floor coupling
(< 0.4 coefficient of friction)
– Lifting/lowering in an unfavorable environment
(high or low temperature / humidity)

• Load weight
• Horizontal distance from load to low back
• Vertical location of load at beginning and end of lift
• Degrees from midline where load is located at beginning and end of lift
• Frequency of lifting in lifts per minute
• The duration of the task
• The quality of any handles or hand-holds

• The revised equation for calculating the recommended weight limit (RWL) is a multiplicative model that incorporates weighting factors (multipliers) corresponding to six task variables:
RWL = LC x (HM x VM x DM x AM x FM x CM)
Load Constant 6 Weighting Factors
(maximum weight for ideal lift)

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)

1. Measure horizontal distance (H1) and vertical distance (V1) at the origin of lift
2. Estimate asymmetry at origin (A1)
3. Measure horizontal distance (H2) and vertical distance (V2) at the destination of lift
4. Estimate asymmetry at destination (A2)
5. Select hand-hold category (good, fair, or poor)
6. Count the number of lifts in a given time frame, and convert to lifts per minute
7. Select the duration of the task: 1 hr, 2 hr, or 8 hr

• Multipliers < 1.0 indicate non-optimal conditions for that task variable
• Table 8 outlines design strategies for each task variable to improve the lift geometry (adjust multiplier toward value of 1.0)

Review Questions (Answers on the next slide)
1.
The maximum load that should be lifted according to the revised NIOSH equation is ?
a.
b.
c.
d.
23 lbs
43 lbs
37 lbs
51 lbs
2.
The maximum value for any of the six task multipliers is ?
a.
b.
c.
d.
100
1
-1
10
3.
Which of the following design techniques would not be used to decrease the lifting index (LI) ?
a.
b.
c.
d.
increase lift frequency reduce lift duration bring load closer to worker reduce vertical distance between origin and destination
4.
The coupling type for an optimally sized container, with non-optimal handles, that allow for 90 o would be ?
finger flex a.
b.
c.
d.
optimal good fair poor

Answers to the Review Questions
1. The maximum load that should be lifted according to the revised NIOSH equation is ?
d.
51 lbs
2. The maximum value for the six task multipliers is ?
b.
1
3. Which of the following design techniques would not be used to decrease the lifting index (LI) ?
a.
increase lift frequency
4. The coupling type for an optimally sized container, with non-optimal handles, that allow for 90 o finger flex would be ?
c.
fair

1. Applications Manual for the Revised
NIOSH Lifting Equation; T.R. Waters,
V. Putz-Anderson, and A. Garg, DHHS
(NIOSH) Publication No. 94-110. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/94-110.html
2. Waters, T.R.; Putz-Anderson, V.; Garg,
A.; and Fine, L.J. Revised NIOSH
Equation for the Design and Evaluation of Manual Lifting Tasks, Ergonomics,
1993, Vol 36(7), 749-776.