• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.153-159
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• 2005

The purpose of this study was to assess the ergonomic risks of lifting tasks in a marine diesel engine manufacturing industry using the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH) Revised Lifting Equation(NLE). Average Lifting Index(LI=Weight of Load/Recommended Weight Limit) of a total number of 45 lifting tasks was $1.6{\pm}0.7$. The LIs were above 1 at 34 tasks(75.6%), and above 2 at 11 tasks(24.4%). Parts management showed the highest average LI value (LI=2.3) in all departments, which resulted from high frequency and heave load of lifting. The common and significant ergonomic risk factors in the processes were the heavy weight of diesel engine parts and the long horizontal distance. In addition, some lifting tasks had such potential risk factors as the long vertical distance, the high frequency of lifts or the long work duration.