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Ergonomics Toolkit
Tool Descriptions
| TOOL | APPLICABLE TASKS | APPLICABLE BODY AREAS | RISK FACTORS CONSIDERED | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hand/ Wrist |
Lower Arm/ Elbow | Upper Arm/ Shoulder | Back/Trunk | Legs | Force | Posture | Frequency/ Repetition |
Duration | Fatigue | Energy Expenditure/ Metabolic | ||
| 1981 NIOSH Lifting Equation | Lifting/Lowering | |||||||||||
| Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation | Lifting/Lowering | |||||||||||
| Liberty Mutual Tables-Lifting/Lowering | Lifting/Lowering | |||||||||||
| Liberty Mutual Tables-Pushing/Pulling | Pushing/Pulling | |||||||||||
| Liberty Mutual Tables-Carrying | Carrying | |||||||||||
| AAMA | Manual Material Handling Task - Energy Expenditure | |||||||||||
| Bak Pak Lifting/Lowering | Lifting/Lowering | |||||||||||
| Bak Pak Upper Limb | Rapid Upper Limb Activity | |||||||||||
| Bak Pak Hand Strain | Hand Strain Index | |||||||||||
| Hand Pak | Manual Torque Application Hand Grips/Pinches Hand Push/Pull | |||||||||||
| U of M 3DSSPP | Strength/Posture Capability | |||||||||||
| JACK Analysis Tool | Strength/Posture Capability | |||||||||||
Tool Descriptions
AAMA-GARG Metabolic Model Description: The model estimates the energy required to perform multiple tasks of different energy consumption and effort. The Garg model is based on the assumption that a job can be divided into simple tasks and that the average metabolic energy expenditure rate of the job can be predicted by knowing the energy expenditures of the simple tasks and the time duration of the job.
HandPak Description: This is an integrated software package for the ergonomic assessment of hand intensive tasks. It is designed to determine recommended acceptable forces and torques for a wide variety of manual, hand intensive tasks commonly found in the workplace.
Jack Analysis Toolkit Description: This toolkit enables you to evaluate human performance from an in-depth ergonomics perspective early in the product lifecycle before designs are frozen and changes require costly rework. The toolkit allows you to evaluate tasks using the Jack and Jill human models, without putting real workers at risk. You are able to build simulated environments that can test ergonomic factors that would be unethical to test on humans.
Liberty Mutual Description: These tables provide both the male and female population percentages capable of performing manual material handling tasks without over exertion, rather than maximum acceptable weights and forces. They can be used to provide ergonomic assessments on the following categories: lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, or carrying. These tables were developed with the goal of controlling costs associated with manual handling operations. These costs can be attributed to high low back disability costs, reduced productivity and quality due to poor job design. The tables provide weight/force values, for specific types of job tasks that are deemed to be acceptable to a defined percentage of the population.
Lifting/Lowering: determine the following: the distance of travel of the hand while lifting or lowering take place. The area of the body in which the lift/lower finishes. The hand distance: the distance from the front of the body to the hands. Also determine the frequency of the lift or lower: the number of lift or lowers expressed in terms of number of activities done in “x” seconds, minutes or hours.
Pushing/Pulling: determine the distance the item is pushed or pulled. The frequency at which the number of push or pulls occurs in terms of “x” seconds, minutes, or hours. For each pushing and pulling task evaluated, you will need to measure the amount of force required to get the item moving (initial force) and then measure the amount of force it takes to keep the item moving (sustained force).
Carrying: The distance the item is carried. Also determine the number carries expressed in terms of number of activities done in ‘x’ seconds, minutes, or hours. Determine the vertical location of the carry as well.
MAE: This equation was designed for repetitive tasks that are not combined with other tasks. This model uses frequency and duty cycle to predict maximum acceptable efforts relative to maximum voluntary efforts. Duty cycle is defined as the portion of a task cycle in which effort is exerted, where 1.0 represents 100% of the cycle. This equation was based off of the data collected from the Snook and Cirello lift and lower tables.
Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation: a tool used to identify, evaluate, and/or classify risks associated with asymmetrical lifting tasks as well as lifts of objects with less than optimal couplings between the object and the worker’s two hands. The equation provides an empirical method for computing a weight limit for manual lifting.
1981 NIOSH Equations: A tool used to analyze risk associated with symmetric, 2 handed lifting of objecs of known size and weight. The equation provides quantitative recommendations based on load weight, size, location and frequency of handling.
BakPak: A software package developed to allow for a comprehensive analysis of lifting and lowering tasks based on the biomechanical, physiological (metabolic) and psychophysical criteria.
Rhomert Endurance Time Calculator: A tool used to calculate endurance time for a static muscle contraction based on percentage of maximum sustained force.