• Proceedings of the ESK Conference
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• 1997.04a
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• pp.39-49
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• 1997

The objective of this study was to make comparison of the psychophysical MAWLs for different manual materials handling tasks. Lifting activities with four different lifting frequencies (2, 5, 8, 11 lifts/min) for one lifting range from floor to 76cm height were studied. The oxygen consumption rate and heart rate were measured or recorded while subjects were lifting their MAWLs. Psychophysical MAWL decreased from 22.38 kg to 7.48 kg, while th oxygen consumption rate with the MAWL increased from 717.8 ml/min to 1114.7 ml/min as the frequency increased from 2 to 11 Lifts/min. Heart rate also increased from 104.5 to 120.7 bpm. It was found that the relationship between MAWL and frequency can be described best by the exponentaial function with the R-sq value 0.9865 for this study. The percent ratio of oxygen consumption rate with the MAWL and PWC ranged from 28% to 43%.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 1999

The objective of this study was to investigate the metabolic energy consumption rate of the psychophysical Maximum Acceptable Weight of Loads (MAWLs) for different manual materials handling tasks. Lifting activities with four different lifting frequencies (2, 5, 8, 11 lifts/min) for a lifting range (from floor to 76cm height) were studied. The oxygen consumption rate and heart rate were measured or recorded while subjects were lifting their MAWLs. It was found that the relationship between MAWL and frequency can be described best by the exponential function with the R-sq value 0.9865 for this study. Psychophysical MAWL decreased from 22.38 to 7.48 kg, while the oxygen consumption rate with the MAWL increased from 717.8 to $1114.7m{\ell}-O_2/min$ as the frequency increased from 2 to 11 lifts/min. Heart rate also increased from 104.5 to 120.7 bpm. The ratio of oxygen consumption for the MAWL to the Physical Work Capacity (PWC) ranged from 28 to 43%. The MAWLs were greater than or equal to the Maximum Permissible Limits (MPLs) when the frequencies were higher than 8 lifts/min. It seems that the MAWLs by psychophysical approach when the frequencies were higher than 8 lifts/min tend to be overestimated from the viewpoint of the physiological criterion of the oxygen consumption rates. From these findings it is suggested that the NIOSH Guideline should not be directly applied to Korean without reasonable modifications.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.11-22
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• 2006

The muscular-skeletal disorders(MSDs) that have become a major issue recently in Korean industrial safety area are mainly caused by manual material handling task. The objective of this study is to provide scientific data for the establishment of work safety standard for Korean workers through the experiments of lifting task under various conditions, in order to prevent the muscular-skeletal disorders in the industrial work site. Eight male college students were recruited as participants. Three different lifting frequencies(1, 3, 5 lifts/min) and three twisting angles(including the sagittal plane and two asymmetric angles; i.e., 0°, 45°, 90°) for symmetric and asymmetric tasks, respectively, with three lifting range from floor to knuckle height, knuckle to shoulder, floor to shoulder height for one hour's work shift using free style lifting technique were studied. The maximum acceptable weight of load(MAWL) was determined under the different task conditions, and the oxygen consumption, heart rate, and RPE were measured or recorded while subjects were lifting their MAWLs. The results showed that: (1) The MAWLs were significantly decreased as the task frequency and task angle increased.; (2) The heart rate, oxygen consumption, RPE significantly increased with an increase in lifting frequency although maximum acceptable weight of lift decreased.; (3) The highest heart rate and oxygen consumption was recorded at the lifting range of floor to shoulder, followed by floor to knuckle and knuckle to shoulder.; (4) The RPE value showed that subjects perceived more exertion at the high frequency rate of lifting task and lifting range of floor to shoulder height. (5) The modeling for MAWL using isometric strength, task angle and lifting frequency were developed. It is expected that use of the results provided in this study may prove helpful in reducing MMH hazards, especially from lifting tasks for Korean, and can be used as a basis for pre-employment screening.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.89-93
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• 2009

The muscular-skeletal disorders that have become a major issue recently in Korean industrial safety area are mainly caused by manual material handling task. The objective of this study is to provide scientific data for the establishment of work safety standard for Korean workers through the experiments of lifting task under various conditions, in order to prevent the muscular-skeletal disorders in the industrial work site. This study used the psychophysical approach to determine the maximum acceptable weight(MAWL) for seven young male subjects, and used isometric and isoinertial strength variables as predictors to develop prediction models. Also, the oxygen consumption, heart rate, and RPE were measured or recorded while subjects were lifting their MAWL. Three different lifting frequencies(1, 3, 5lifts/min) with two lifting range from floor to knuckle height and knuckle to shoulder height for one hour's work shift using free style lifting technique were studied. These results may not only provide scientific data in establishing the safety standards for Korean workers' lifting tasks, but also contribute preventing the rapidly increasing muscular-skeletal disorders lately on the industrial site.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.145-153
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• 2010

Activity of lifting has been a major issue in many research area related in manual materials handling tasks. However, the opposite activity of lifting, lowering, has received much less attention. It is known that 52% of all box-handling tasks were lowering in nature. The difference in stress between lifting and lowering activity is not well understood. A simple assumption that these two activities are very similar has been established and widely used. However, this simple assumption may be questionable. The objective of this study was to compare a lifting activity and a lowering activity based on the three different ergonomic approaches; (1) biomechanical, (2) physiological, (3) psychophysical approach. It was found that the stress of lowering activity was from 65% to 93%, from 87% to 97%, and from 87% to 96% according to the biomechanical, physiological, and psychophysical point of view, respectively. It is concluded from the result of this study that the stress of lowering activity is lower than that of the lifting activity. The maximum compressive force on the lumbro-sacral joint (L5/S1) was 158% and 108% respectively, for lifting and lowering activity of which the work load is the 58% of Action Limit. It is suggested that the NIOSH AL and RWL and biomechanical criteria should be reconsidered especially for the low frequency of lifting activities.

• Proceedings of the ESK Conference
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• 1997.10a
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• pp.31-34
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• 1997

본 연구에서는 들기 작업 중 특히 2인이 행하는 들기 과업시 신장과 근력의 차이가 작 업 능력에 어떠한 영향을 미치는가를 실험을 통해 심리육체적(Physchophysical approach)/ 생리학적(Physiological approach)으로 분석하였다. 실험은 건설 현장 작업의 Form 들기 작업을 시뮬레이션하였다. 남자 대학생 14명을 대상으로 2인 작업팀을 신장/근력 차이가 있는 팀과 비슷 한 신장/근력 팀으로 설정된 기준에 따라 나누었고 20분간 심리육체적인 실험을 통해 이 두 그룹간 의 최대 허용 하중 (Maximum Acceptable Weight of Load, MAWL)과 생리적인 부하(Load)의 차이를 측정하였다. 생리적 부하는 K4를 신장과 관계없이 근력이 약한 피실험자에게 착용케하여 심박수와 에너지 소비량을 산출하여 두 그룹을 비교하였다. 실험 결과 최대 허용하중의 경우 다른 신장/근력 팀에 분당 2회의 빈도의 경우 각각 16.2kg, 14.0kg, 분당 4회의 경우 각각 12.6kg, 10.6kg으로 비슷 한 신장/근력 팀의 경우가 다른 신장/근력 팀의 경우보다 높은 최대 허용 하중을 보였고, 에너지 소 비량은 다른 신장/근력 팀과 비슷한 신장/근력 팀에 대해 분당 2회의 경우 각각 6.01 kal/분, 5.82 Kal/분, 분당 4회의 경우 각각 7.81 kal/분, 7.43 kal/분, 심박수는 분당 2회의 경우 98.62(회/분), 94.60(회/분), 분당 4회의 경우 122.00(회/분), 117.43(회/분), 으로 다른 신장/근력 팀의 경우가 비슷한 신장/근력 팀의 경우보다 높은 에너지 소비량과 심박수를 보였다.