"This booklet is written for managers and supervisors in industries that involve the manual handling of containers. It offers suggestions to improve the handling of rectangular, square, and cylindrical containers, sacks, and bags. "Improving Manual Material Handling in Your Workplace" lists the benefits of improving your work tasks. It also contains information on risk factors, types of ergonomic improvements, and effective training and sets out a four-step proactive action plan. The plan helps you identify problems, set priorities, make changes, and follow up. Sections 1 and 2 of "Improvement Options" provide ways to improve lifting, lowering, filling, emptying, or carrying tasks by changing work practices and/or the use of equipment. Guidelines for safer work practices are also included. Section 3 of "Improvement Options" provides ideas for using equipment instead of manually handling individual containers. Guidelines for safer equipment use are also included. For more help the "Resources" section contains additional information on administrative improvements, work assessment tools and comprehensive analysis methods. This section also includes an improvement evaluation tool and a list of professional and trade organizations related to material handling."--Page 6.

Manual Materials Handling MMH creates special problems for many different workers worldwide. Labourers engaged in jobs which require extensive lifting/lowering, carrying and pushing/pulling of heavy materials have suffered increasing rates of musculo-skeletal injury, especially to the back.; This guide is intended to include all activities involved in MMH lifting, pushing, pulling, carrying and holding. Recommendations are provided in the form of design data that can be used to design different MMH work activities. The guide is divided into two parts. Part I outlines the scope of the problem, discusses the factors that influence a person's capacity to perform MMH activities and / or should be modified to reduce the risk of injuries, and reviews the various design approaches to solving the MMH problem. Part II provides specific design data in six distinct chapters. The seventh chapter of Part II of the guide describes various mechanical devices that are available to aid MMH activities.; The guide is aimed at all concerned with the health impact of MMH activities; occupational health and safety workers; senior human resource managers; ergonomists; workers' compensation lawyers; union representatives.

A thorough explanation of the quantifying of manual lifting. The failure to match strength to task costs billions of dollars each year in medical and compensation payments. Ayoub and Mital argue forcefully for pre-employment testing of manual workers. They cover variables in materials handling tasks, mechanics of lifting, pulling and pushing, carrying and supporting loads, proper training, and suitable rest periods. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Sponsored jointly by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and International Material Management Society, this single source reference is designed to meet today's need for updated technical information on planning, installing and operating materials handling systems. It not only classifies and describes the standard types of materials handling equipment, but also analyzes the engineering specifications and compares the operating capabilities of each type. Over one hundred professionals in various areas of materials handling present efficient methods, procedures and systems that have significantly reduced both manufacturing and distribution costs.