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Page: Suggested Engineering Controls
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* A reduction in the size or weight of the object lifted. The parameters include maximum allowable weights for a given set of task requirements; the compactness of a package; the presence of handles, and the stability of the package being handled.
* Adjusting the height of a pallet or shelf. Lifting which occurs below knee height or above shoulder height is more strenuous than lifting between these limits. Obstructions which prevent an employee's body contact with the object being lifted also generally increase the risk of injury.
* Installation of mechanical aids such as pneumatic lifts, conveyors, and/or automated materials handling equipment.
In a recent study it was determined that up to one-third of compensable back injuries could be prevented through better job design (ergonomics).
Other factors include frequency of lifting, duration of lifting activities and type of lifting, as well as individual variables such as age, sex, body size, state of health, and general physical fitness level.
The approaches suggested include the NIOSH Work Practices Guide for Manual Lifting* employing an equation using horizontal location, vertical location, vertical travel distance and lifting frequency. Another approach puts a maximum weight limit for any single lift, or a load-moment limit which would consider the effect of the distance of the load from the worker's body. Tables of maximum weights for different percentiles of male and female workers have also been proposed.
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