ISO/TC 159/SC 3/WG 4 - Human physical strength: manual handling and force limits

This document is intended to be used alongside ISO/TR 12295, ISO 11226 and the ISO 11228 series in the agricultural sector. This document gives information on how existing standards can be used in a global sector such as agriculture where, albeit with different characteristics, biomechanical overload is a relevant aspect, WMSDs are common and specific preventive actions are needed. The proposed project aims to: 1)   define the user(s) and fields for its application (including non-experts in ergonomics); 2)   provide examples of procedures for hazard identification, risk estimation or evaluation and risk reduction in different agricultural settings, through: —   more synthetic procedural schemes (main test); —   more analytical explanations of the procedures, through mathematical models and application examples, also with the use of specific free simple tools, in: —  Annex A (pre-mapping with ERGOCHECK); —  Annex B (evaluation of Multitask risk of biomechanical overload on typical agricultural macro-cycles, considering upper limbs repetitive movements, manual lifting and carrying, pushing-pulling); —  Annex C (study of awkward postures with criteria derived from the actual standards and scientific literature as TACOS method).

ISO/TR 12295:2014 is an application document that guides users of the ISO 11228 series of International Standards, which address manual handling, and ISO 11226, which deals with static working postures. Specifically, it guides the user and provides additional information in the selection and use of the appropriate standards.

ISO/TR 12296:2012 provides guidance for assessing the problems and risks associated with manual patient handling in the healthcare sector, and for identifying and applying ergonomic strategies and solutions to those problems and risks. Its main goals are to improve caregivers' working conditions by decreasing biomechanical overload risk, thus limiting work-related illness and injury, as well as the consequent costs and absenteeism, and to account for patients' care quality, safety, dignity and privacy as regards their needs, including specific personal care and hygiene. It is intended for all users (or caregivers and workers) involved in healthcare manual handling and, in particular, healthcare managers and workers, occupational safety and health caregivers, producers of assistive devices and equipment, education and training supervisors, and designers of healthcare facilities. Its recommendations are primarily applicable to the movement of people (adults and children) in the provision of healthcare services in purposely built or adapted buildings and environments. Some recommendations can also be applied to wider areas (e.g. home care, emergency care, voluntary caregivers, cadaver handling). The recommendations for patient handling take into consideration work organization, type and number of patients to be handled, aids, spaces where patients are handled, as well as caregivers' education and awkward postures, but do not apply to object (movement, transfer, pushing and pulling) or animal handling. Task joint analysis in a daily shift involving both patient handling, pulling and pushing or object handling and transport is not considered.

ISO 11228-3:2006 establishes ergonomic recommendations for repetitive work tasks involving the manual handling of low loads at high frequency. It provides guidance on the identification and assessment of risk factors commonly associated with handling low loads at high frequency, thereby allowing evaluation of the related health risks to the working population. The recommendations apply to the adult working population and are intended to give reasonable protection for nearly all healthy adults. Those recommendations concerning health risks and control measures are mainly based on experimental studies regarding musculoskeletal loading, discomfort/pain and endurance/fatigue related to methods of working. ISO 11228-3:2006 is intended to provide information for all those involved in the design or redesign of work, jobs and products.

ISO 11228-2:2007 gives the recommended limits for whole-body pushing and pulling. It provides guidance on the assessment of risk factors considered important to manual pushing and pulling, allowing the health risks for the working population to be evaluated. The recommendations apply to the healthy adult working population and provide reasonable protection to the majority of this population. These guidelines are based on experimental studies of push-pull tasks and associated levels of musculoskeletal loading, discomfort/pain, and endurance/fatigue. Pushing and pulling, as defined in ISO 11228-2:2007, is restricted to the following: whole-body force exertions (i.e. while standing/walking); actions performed by one person; forces applied by two hands; forces used to move or restrain an object; forces applied in a smooth and controlled way; forces applied without the use of external support(s); forces applied on objects located in front of the operator; forces applied in an upright position (not sitting). ISO 11228-2:2007 is intended to provide information for designers, employers, employees and others involved in the design or redesign of work, tasks, products and work organization.

ISO 11228-1:2003 specifies recommended limits for manual lifting and carrying while taking into account, respectively, the intensity, the frequency and the duration of the task. ISO 11228:2003 is designed to provide guidance on the assessment of several task variables, allowing the health risks for the working population to be evaluated. ISO 11228-1:2003 applies to manual handling of objects with a mass of 3 kg or more. ISO 11228-1:2003 applies to moderate walking speed, i.e. 0,5 m/s to 1,0 m/sec on a horizontal level surface. ISO 11228-1:2003 does not include holding of objects (without walking), pushing or pulling of objects, lifting with one hand, manual handling while seated, and lifting by two or more people. Holding, pushing and pulling objects will be included in other parts of ISO 11228. ISO 11228-1:2003 is based on an 8 h working day. It does not concern analysis of combined tasks in a shift during a day.