Manual Material Handling

Question 1

Why is manual material handling so important from public health/cost perspective?

Answer 1

musculosketal disorders account for almost 70 million visits.
economic consequences compensations costs, lost wages, lost productivity

Question 2

Provide 4 reasons why even when lifting equipment is available, workers do not use them.

Answer 2

1. did not think it was necessary
2. it was not practical to use
3. it was not working
4. it takes too long

Question 3

what does the human spine consist of? Where does most of the injuries occur? What is disc herniation?

Answer 3

human spine contains 24 vertebrae, a large wedge-shape bone at bottom called sacrum
b/w each pair of vertebrae there are discs which act like shock absorbers
on top of the sacrum are 5 lumbar vertebrae referred to as L1 to L5

L4/L5 or L5/L1 is the site of the most back injuries

Question 4

In addition to lifting with straight back and bent knee, provide 4 other good lifting techniques. Give a sentence to describe each of these

Answer 4

1. squatting while lifting
2. a weight should be carried with straight arms
3. the arms should remain straight while lifting. the feet are placed apart to prepare for forward movement.
4. raise items to bench height by using leg muscles

Question 5

What are the 3 criteria considered in NIOSH equation?

Answer 5

bio-mechanical, physiological, psycho-physical

Question 6

From EC table, what are the 5 characteristics of a load that should be avoided?

Answer 6

• too heavy or too large
• unwieldy or difficult to grasp
• unstable or has contents likely to shift
• positioned in a manner requiring it to be held or manipulated at a distance from the trunk, or with a bending or twisting of the trunk
• likely that its contents and/or consistency would result in injury to workers in the event of collision

Question 7

From EC table, what are the 4 physical efforts required that should be avoided?

Answer 7

• too strenuous
• only achieved by a twisting movement of the trunk
• likely to result in sudden movement of the load
• made with the body in a unstable posture

Question 8

From EC table, what are the 5 characteristics of a working environment that should be avoided?

Answer 8

• there is not enough room, in particular vertically, to carry out the activity
• the floor is uneven, thus resenting tripping hazards, or slippery in relation to the worker’s footwear
• the place of work or the working environment presents the handling of loads at a safe height or with good posture by the worker
• there are variations in the level of the floor or the working surface, requiring the load to be manipulated on different levels
• the floor or foot rest is unstable

Question 9

From EC table, what are the 4 requirements of the activity that should be avoided?

Answer 9

• over frequent or over prolonged physical effort involving in particular the spine
• an insufficient bodily rest or recovery period
• excessive lifting, lowering, or carrying distances
• rate of work imposed by a process which cannot be altered by the worker