Presentation
The Effects of Load and Vertical Range on Lifting and Lowering Effective Durations
SessionPoster Session 1
DescriptionErgonomics assessments for manual materials handling traditionally focused on low back injury risks. However, new methods are emerging to assess upper limb demands. One key input to these tools is “effort duration,” or the duration during which a worker exerts force during a task. While task frequency is easily observed for lifting and lowering tasks, data on effort durations, especially across different loads and heights, are lacking. In this study, we investigated the effects of vertical range and hand load on the duration of lifting and lowering tasks. Results demonstrated that heavier loads and higher vertical ranges significantly increased effort durations, with lowering often taking longer than lifting. These findings help fill a critical gap in ergonomics research and support the development of more inclusive, upper-body-focused assessment tools. Future work will focus on developing predictive effort duration equations when considering load, vertical range, and travel distance.
Event Type
Poster
TimeTuesday, October 14th5:30pm - 6:30pm CDT
LocationRiverside East
Similar Presentations