Knowing the weight an individual worker can safely lift is key to preventing back injury in the workplace.

To this end, the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has created a free mobile app that helps calculate potential manual lifts. The NIOSH Lifting Equation Calculator app (NLE Calc) is based on their revised lifting equation. It is an internationally recognized standard for safe lifting.

This new app is designed to assist workers in manufacturing, healthcare, retail and other industries whose work includes manual lifting. NLE Calc determines the potential for harm based on data entered about the lifting task. It also provides recommendations on how to optimize the task, or perform it differently, in order to prevent injury. Some examples of recommendations include the following:

• Bring the load closer to the body.
• Raise the load to waist height before lifting.
• Minimize the distance the load must be lifted.

The NLE Calc app is available for download from Apple iTunes or Google Play. With the app’s release, NIOSH added a page on their website which offers information on how to use the app and how to interpret the results.

Musculoskeletal disorders, including injuries to the back, are the leading cause of work-related injuries in Ontario. Solutions are critical.

For our part, the Workers Health & Safety Centre (WHSC) offers a number of ergonomic training programs and resources to help workplace parties assess the hazards that cause MSDs and then plan for their prevention.

Want more information on the NIOSH Lifting Equation Calculator (NLE Calc) app?

To learn more:
Call:    1-888-869-7950 and ask to speak to a training services representative
Visit:   www.whsc.on.ca
Email: contactus@whsc.on.ca