Some investigations on low back pain amongst workers involved in lifting tasks

TL;DR: The study was carried out on 50 subjects in different warehouses in Jammu (J&K, India), where lifting was done manually without the aid of any handling equipment.

Abstract: Manual lifting still is at large in various countries and it has been observed that majority of the workers involved in manual lifting tasks suffer from low back pain. This paper analyses such cases by using NIOSH lifting equation. The lifting index is calculated based upon the data gathered on the site. It was revealed from data that the workers were exposed to low back pains. In order to assure the safety of workers, the measurements were again done after revising their working style and the workplace layouts. The lifting loads considered for the study were 5 Kg, 10 Kg, 15 Kg and 20 Kg. The study was carried out on 50 subjects in different warehouses in Jammu (J&K, India), where lifting was done manually without the aid of any handling equipment. Finally, based upon the results of NIOSH lifting equation, certain recommendations were made to safeguard the workers.