Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 Aug;58(5):667-82.
doi: 10.1177/0018720815623894. Epub 2016 Jan 28.

Evaluation of the Impact of the Revised National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Lifting Equation

Ming-Lun Lu  1 , Vern Putz-Anderson  2 , Arun Garg  3 , Kermit G Davis  4
Affiliations

Evaluation of the Impact of the Revised National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Lifting Equation

Ming-Lun Lu et al. Hum Factors. 2016 Aug.

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this article is to evaluate the impact of the Revised National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Lifting Equation (RNLE).

Background: The RNLE has been used extensively as a risk assessment method for prevention of low back pain (LBP). However, the impact of the RNLE has not been documented.

Methods: A systematic review of the literature on the RNLE was conducted. The review consisted of three parts: characterization of the RNLE publications, assessment of the impact of the RNLE, and evaluation of the influences of the RNLE on ergonomic standards. The literature for assessing the impact was categorized into four research areas: methodology, laboratory, field, and risk assessment studies using the Lifting Index (LI) or Composite LI (CLI), both of which are the products of the RNLE.

Results: The impact of the RNLE has been both widespread and influential. We found 24 studies that examined the criteria used to define lifting capacity used by the RNLE, 28 studies that compared risk assessment methods for identifying LBP, 23 studies that found the RNLE useful in identifying the risk of LBP with different work populations, and 13 studies on the relationship between LI/CLI and LBP outcomes. We also found evidence on the adoption of the RNLE as an ergonomic standard for use by various local, state, and international entities.

Conclusion: The review found 13 studies that link LI/CLI to adverse LBP outcomes. These studies showed a positive relationship between LI/CLI metrics and the severity of LBP outcomes.

Keywords: Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation; impact; lifting index; low back pain; manual lifting.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Number of documents (N=137) relevant to the RNLE from 1/1/1991-12/31/2014
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Abdallah S, Genaidy A, Karwowski W, Shell R, Sonbol A, Ravelo E, et al. Theoretical Basis for General Lifting Equations Based on Mechanical Work Performed during Manual Lifting. Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science. 2005;6(6):551–564.
    1. Automotive Industrial Action Group (AIAG) Ergonomics Guidelines for Small Lot Delivery Systems 2007 Publication OHS-5, AIAG, 26200 Lahser Rd., Suite 200, Southfield, MI 48033.
    1. Adams KJ, DeBeliso M, Sevene-Adams PG, Berning JM, Miller T, Tollerud DJ. Physiological and psychophysical comparison between a lifting task with identical weight but different coupling factors. J Strength Cond Res. 2010;24(2):307–312. - PubMed
    1. American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) TLV and BEL book . Threshold Limit Values for lifting. ACGIH; Cincinnati, Ohio: 2007.
    1. Arezes PM, Miguel AS, Colim AS. Manual materials handling: knowledge and practices among Portuguese health and safety practitioners. Work. 2011;39(4):385–395. - PubMed

Publication types