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Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation May generate spine loads exceeding recommended limits

Arjmand, N ; Sharif University of Technology | 2015

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  1. Type of Document: Article
  2. DOI: 10.1016/j.ergon.2014.09.010
  3. Publisher: Elsevier , 2015
  4. Abstract:
  5. The 1991 NIOSH Lifting Equation (NLE) is widely used to assess the risk of injury to spine by providing estimates of the recommended weight limit (RWL) in hands. The present study uses the predictive equations developed based on a detailed trunk musculoskeletal biomechanical model to verify whether the RWL generates L5-S1 loads within the limits (e.g., 3400N for compression recommended by NIOSH and 1000N for shear recommended in some studies). Fifty lifting activities are simulated here to evaluate the RWL by the NLE and the L5-S1 loads by the predictive equations. In lifting activities involving moderate to large forward trunk flexion, the estimated RWL generates L5-S1 spine loads exceeding the recommended limits. The NIOSH vertical multiplier is the likely cause of this inadequacy; a revised multiplier accounting for the trunk flexion angle is hence needed. The use of a fixed 3400N compression limit is also questioned. Relevance to industry: Ergonomist and occupational health practitioners are advised to use the NLE along with the predictive equations of the spine loads proposed in this study when evaluating the risk of injury to the spine in lifting activities particularly those involving moderate to large trunk flexion
  6. Keywords:
  7. Biomechanical model ; Multiplier ; NIOSH lifting equation ; Recommended weight limit ; Spine loads ; Accident prevention ; Biomechanics ; Health risks ; Industrial hygiene ; Bio-mechanical models ; Compression limit ; Multiplier ; NIOSH lifting equation ; Occupational health ; Predictive equations ; Trunk flexion ; Weight limits ; Risk assessment ; adult ; Article ; biomechanics ; body height ; body position ; body posture ; body weight ; clinical assessment tool ; compression ; flexor reflex ; human ; human experiment ; in vivo study ; male ; muscle strength ; musculoskeletal system parameters ; NIOSH Lifting Equation ; normal human ; prediction ; priority journal ; recommended weight limit ; risk assessment ; spine load ; task performance ; trunk ; weight lifting
  8. Source: International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics ; Volume 47 , 2015 , Pages 1-8 ; 01698141 (ISSN)
  9. URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169814115000268