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NOISE Lifting Equation

The document discusses the NIOSH Lifting Equation, a standard for evaluating safe lifting limits and calculating the Recommended Weight Limit (RWL) for manual lifting tasks. It provides a formula for RWL and explains the Lifting Index (LI) to assess risk levels associated with lifting. An example is included to illustrate the calculation of RWL and LI for a specific lifting task.

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arunachalam muthiah
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4 views

NOISE Lifting Equation

The document discusses the NIOSH Lifting Equation, a standard for evaluating safe lifting limits and calculating the Recommended Weight Limit (RWL) for manual lifting tasks. It provides a formula for RWL and explains the Lifting Index (LI) to assess risk levels associated with lifting. An example is included to illustrate the calculation of RWL and LI for a specific lifting task.

Uploaded by

arunachalam muthiah
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The NOISE Lifting Equation doesn't exist as a formal term in ergonomics literature.

However,
it's possible you're referring to either:

1. The NIOSH Lifting Equation – which is the National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health (NIOSH) standard for evaluating lifting tasks.
2. Noise exposure limits – which deal with auditory hazards, not lifting.

Since you're asking about "lifting," the correct and widely used method is:

NIOSH Lifting Equation

Used to evaluate safe lifting limits and calculate the Recommended Weight Limit (RWL) for
manual lifting tasks.

Formula:

RWL = LC × HM × VM × DM × AM × FM × CM

Where:

Term Meaning Ideal Value


LC Load Constant = 23 kg (51 lbs) Always 23 kg
HM Horizontal Multiplier = 25 / H H = horizontal distance from body
VM Vertical Multiplier = 1 – 0.003 × V – 75
DM Distance Multiplier = 0.82 + (4.5 / D) D = vertical travel distance
AM Asymmetry Multiplier = 1 – 0.0032 × A A = degrees of trunk twist
FM Frequency Multiplier (from table) Based on lifts/min and duration
CM Coupling Multiplier (from table) Based on handle quality and grip

Lifting Index (LI)

After calculating RWL:

Lifting Index (LI) = Actual Load / RWL

LI Value Risk Level


≤ 1.0 Safe
> 1.0 Increased risk – ergonomic intervention advised
Example

Task: Lifting a 20 kg box 50 cm in front of the body, from 40 cm height to 90 cm, once every
minute for 1 hour.

1. H = 50 cm → HM = 25 / 50 = 0.5
2. V = 40 cm → VM = 1 – 0.003 × |40–75| = 0.895
3. D = 50 cm → DM = 0.82 + (4.5 / 50) = 0.91
4. A = 0° → AM = 1
5. FM = 0.95 (from table: <0.2 lifts/min = 1.0, 1 lift/min ≈ 0.95)
6. CM = 1.0 (good handles)

Then:

RWL = 23 × 0.5 × 0.895 × 0.91 × 1 × 0.95 × 1 = ~8.93 kg


LI = 20 / 8.93 ≈ 2.24 → High risk

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