NIOSH Lifting Equation Scoring Sheet

Date: Task:

Company: Supervisor:

Dept: Evaluator:

Origin Destination

Measurement Multiplier Measurement Multiplier

Load Weight (L) (pounds)

Load Constant (pounds) 51 51

Horizontal Location ( H ) (inches) GOOD

Vertical Location ( V ) (inches) FAIR

Vertical Travel Distance ( |Vo - Vd| ) POOR

Asymmetry Angle ( A ) (degrees)

Lifting Duration (hours)

Lifting Frequency ( F ) (lifts/minute)

Coupling ( C ) SHORT
MODERATE
LONG

RESULTS

Origin Destination

Recommended Weight Limit (RWL)

Lifting Index (LI)

LI < 1: This lift may be acceptable.

1 < LI < 3: This lift may increase the risk of low back or lifting injury.
Controls should be considered

LI > 3: This lift may exceed the capabilities of safely performing the lift for
nearly all workers. Redesign of the lifting task is recommended.

N/A* = One of the multipliers is equal to 0.

Consider the Lifting Index here to be greater than 3 (and in the RED category)

Use the smaller of the two RWL values and its

corresponding LI value as the RWL and LI for the ENTIRE task.

© 2017 The Ergonomics Center of North Carolina Version 1.0 ErgoCenter.NCSU.edu

 MULTIPLIER TABLES (for reference only)

HORIZONTAL VERTICAL DISTANCE

MULTIPLIER MULTIPLIER MULTIPLIER
Table Table Table ASYMMETRIC MULTIPLIER
Inches Inches Inches Angle (degrees) in Sagittal P
H HM V VM D DM A
0 1.00 0 0.78 0 1.00 0
10 1.00 5 0.81 10 1.00 15
11 0.91 10 0.85 15 0.94 30
12 0.83 15 0.89 20 0.91 45
13 0.77 20 0.93 25 0.89 60
14 0.71 25 0.96 30 0.88 75
15 0.67 30 1.00 35 0.87 90
16 0.63 35 0.96 40 0.87 105
17 0.59 40 0.93 45 0.86 120
18 0.56 45 0.89 50 0.86 135
19 0.53 50 0.85 55 0.85 >135
20 0.50 55 0.81 60 0.85
21 0.48 60 0.78 70 0.85
22 0.46 65 0.74 >70 0.00
23 0.44 70 0.70
24 0.42 >70 0.00
25 0.40
>25 0.00

MULTIPLIER EQUATIONS (for reference only)

© 2017 The Ergonomics Center of North Carolina ErgoCenter.NCSU.edu

Version 1.0

© 2017 The Ergonomics Center of North Carolina ErgoCenter.NCSU.edu

METRIC MULTIPLIER Table FREQUENCY MULTIPLIER Table
e (degrees) in Sagittal Plane Frequency > 2 hours but < 8 hours > 1 hour but < 2 hours
AM Lifts/min V<30 inches V>=30 inches V<30 inches V>=30 inches
1.00 0.2 0.85 0.85 0.95 0.95
0.95 0.5 0.81 0.81 0.92 0.92
0.90 1 0.75 0.75 0.88 0.88
0.86 2 0.65 0.65 0.84 0.84
0.81 3 0.55 0.55 0.79 0.79
0.76 4 0.45 0.45 0.72 0.72
0.71 5 0.35 0.35 0.6 0.6
0.66 6 0.27 0.27 0.5 0.5
0.62 7 0.22 0.22 0.42 0.42
0.57 8 0.18 0.18 0.35 0.35
0.00 9 0 0.15 0.3 0.3
10 0 0.13 0.26 0.26
11 0 0 0 0.23
12 0 0 0 0.21
13 0 0 0 0
14 0 0 0 0
15 0 0 0 0
>15 0 0 0 0

© 2017 The Ergonomics Center of North Carolina ErgoCenter.NCSU.edu

R Table COUPLING FACTOR Table
< 1 hour V<30 inches V>=30 inches
V<30 inches V>=30 inches GOOD 1.00 1.00
1.00 1.00 FAIR 0.95 1.00
0.97 0.97 POOR 0.90 0.90
0.94 0.94
0.91 0.91
0.88 0.88
0.84 0.84
0.8 0.8
0.75 0.75
0.7 0.7
0.6 0.6
0.52 0.52
0.45 0.45
0.41 0.41
0.37 0.37
0 0.34
0 0.31
0 0.28
0 0

© 2017 The Ergonomics Center of North Carolina ErgoCenter.NCSU.edu