Work requiring lifting and carrying up to 23 kilograms on an occasional basis is generally defined as Medium Work. Lifting requires raising or lowering an object or equipment and carrying involves manually transporting an object from one place to another.
Medium Work is defined as:
"Exerting 9 kilograms to 23 kilograms of force occasionally, or 4.5 kilograms to 11 kilograms of force frequently, or greater than negligible up to 4.5 kilograms of force constantly to move objects. Physical demand requirements are in excess of those for light work."
(The US Department of Labor 1991).
The National Code of Practice for Manual Handling states:
"As weight increases from 16 kilograms up to 55 kilograms, the percentage of healthy adults who can safely lift, lower or carry the weight, decreases. Therefore, more care is required for weights above 16 kilograms and up to 55 kilograms in the assessment process. Mechanical assistance and/or team lifting arrangements should be provided to reduce the risk of injury associated with these heavier weights.
Workplace solutions and adjustments
For people who have difficulty lifting and moving objects up to 23 kilograms there are a range of strategies that can assist including:
- Elimination: consider completely removing or eliminating the worker’s requirement to lift
- Substitution: consider breaking down the load into lighter components or replace lifting a load with pushing a load through the use of a trolley
- Minimisation: decrease the frequency of lifting during the day where possible
- Engineering: modifications to equipment design to minimise the need for lifting
- Administration: modification of work systems and practices, e.g. job rotation, good housekeeping and location of products being lifted
- Training/ supervision: ensuring workers operate equipment safely and properly to minimise manual handling along with the provision of manual handling training to assist with the development of safe work practices
- Personal protective equipment: for example provision of gloves or back braces which may be recommended with usage guidelines.
There are also a range of products, aids and supports to assist an individual to lift up to 23 kilograms:
For lifting and moving in an office environment there are aids such as:
- luggage on wheels—to assist with moving office files etc
- trolleys
Cleaning based equipment which assists to minimise lifting and moving include:
- automatic sweepers and buffers—require moderate push/pull force
- mop buckets - with wheels and bottom drainage
- trolleys
- vacuum cleaners—backpack and upright
For lifting and moving in industrial, mechanical and construction work there are aids such as:
For people who work in the health-care field, there are:
To assist people to complete activities of daily living for example shopping, cleaning and laundry tasks there are aids such as:
- shopping trolleys
- laundry trolleys
- hydraulic nappy change tables
- luggage on wheels
References
Independent Living Centres Australia Inc. 2007, Review of Products, Independent Living Centres Australia Inc., Sydney, viewed 4 March 2010, <http://www.ilcaustralia.org>.
National Occupational Health and Safety Council 2005, National Code of Practice for Manual Handling, Safe Work Australia 2009, Canberra, viewed 4 March 2010, <http://safeworkaustralia.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/D7B58BF8-1C27-430B-922E-427CE310EB53/0/manualhandling_cop2005_1990.pdf>.
United States Department of Labor and United States Employment and Training Administration 1991, Revised Handbook for Analyzing Jobs, United States Department of Labor, Washington.
WorkCover New South Wales 2010, Manual Handling-Hierarchy of Controls, New South Wales Government, Sydney, viewed 4 March 2010, <http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/formspublications/publications/Documents/hierarchy_of_controls_5620.pdf>.
Workers Health Centre 2004, Manual Handling Factsheet, Workers Health Centre, Lidcombe, viewed 4 March 2010, http://www.workershealth.com.au/facts034.html.