ABSTRACT
The Material Handling Institute has been promoting "principles of material movement." If all opportunities to automate or mechanize material movement have been exhausted, material handling will have to be assigned to people. Job requirements must be established that do not overload the person. Compact material can be held closer to the body than a bulky one. A solid object with good handles is more safely held and more easily moved than a pliable one. The work environment contributes to the safety and efficiency of manual material activities if it is ergonomically well designed and maintained. The thermal environment at work is determined by four physical factors: air temperature, humidity, air movement, and temperature of surfaces that exchange energy by radiation. Each element of the work should be screened for factors that can contribute to Cumulative trauma disorders. The early stage is often reversible through work modification and rest breaks.
