Work requiring lifting and carrying up to 9 kilograms on an occasional basis is generally defined as Light Work. Lifting requires raising or lowering an object or equipment and carrying involves manually transporting an object from one place to another.
Light Work is defined as:
"Exerting up to 9kg of force occasionally, or up to 4.5kg of force frequently, or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. Physical demand requirements are in excess of those for Sedentary Work. Even though the weight lifted may be only a negligible amount, a job should be rated Light Work:
- When it requires walking or standing to a significant degree; or
- When it requires sitting most of the time but entails pushing or pulling of arm or leg controls; or
- When the job requires working at a production rate pace entailing the constant pushing or pulling of materials even though the weight of those materials is negligible."
The National Code of Practice for Manual Handling recommends that loads over 4.5kg are not lifted from a seated position.
Workplace solutions and adjustments
For people who have difficulty lifting and moving objects up to 9 kilograms there are a range of strategies that can assist them 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: modifying the design of equipment to eliminate the need to lift
- Administration: modification of work systems and practices, e.g. job rotation, good housekeeping and location of products being lifted
- Training and Supervision: ensuring workers operate equipment safely and properly to minimise manual handling which can also be assisted through the provision of manual handling training
- Personal protective equipment: for example provision of gloves or back braces which may be used for heavier lifting with usage guidelines.
There are also a range of products, aids and supports to assist if lifting up to 9 kilograms:
For lifting and moving in an office environment there are aids such as:
Cleaning based equipment which assists to minimise lifting and moving include:
For lifting and moving in industrial, mechanical and construction work there are aids such as:
To assist people to complete activities of daily living for example shopping, cleaning and laundry tasks there are aids such as:
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, 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.