Mital Tables

Developed by: A. Mital 

Description: A series of tables that provide estimated maximum lifting weight limits given a worker’s sex, object dimensions, lifting distance, lifting frequency, and asymmetry of the lift. The limits in these tables are derived from psychophysical data, meaning test workers were asked whether they felt an object was “too heavy” given a combination of lifting factors, with limits derived from aggregate data. The link itself leads to a purchasable Canadian ergonomics standard that contains these tables along with other information about their use and interpretation. Many versions and revisions of these tables exist, the version available in the standard represents the most up-to-date version as of the standard’s publication in 2021; the original tables are derived from a publication in 1992 entitled “Psychophysical capacity of industrial workers for lifting symmetrical and asymmetrical loads symmetrically and asymmetrically for 8 h work shifts”.

The data in these tables are based on common work between this resource’s author (Mital) and studies done at Liberty Mutual by Snook, Cirriello, and others, commonly referred to as “Snook tables”.

Keywords: lifting, object size, dimension, asymmetry, male, female, height, distance, perception, frequency