NIOSH Lifting Equation

Developed by: NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)

Description: A link to an app that determines how safe or hazardous a given lifting task is. The user inputs where the lift starts and ends, how much the worker has to twist, how heavy the object being lifted is, how often and long the lifting task occurs for, and how well the worker can hold the object. The app computes a “recommended weight limit” and a “lifting index” from this information. The recommended weight limit tells the user what the safe maximum lifting weight should be for that lift; the lifting index tells the user how much above or below that limit the actual object weight is.

More detailed instructions and background materials are provided at the link. This resource forms the basis for many of the other lifting-focused resources linked to on the CRE-MSD website. 

NOTE: The app is currently unavailable for download, but the documentation provides enough resources for someone familiar with ergonomics or health & safety to perform calculations themselves (last updated: February 2024).

Keywords: lifting, weight, distance, reach, height, weight, twist, coupling, asymmetry, frequency, duration, NIOSH, recommended weight limit, lifting index, holding, grip