ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews those factors that have been widely accepted by various agencies as the factors that must be controlled or modified in some systematic manner to reduce the risk of MMH injury. For a detailed discussion and research concerning all the factors that have been identified as possible risk factors, the reader is referred to the reference book Manual Materials Handling by Ayoub and Mital. Heavier individuals certainly have an advantage over other body types in that these individuals are generally stronger and have enough mass to handle large objects and, therefore, have higher capacity for infrequently performed MMH tasks. The effect of ageing on MMH capability is rather conflicting. The effects of psychological factors on psychophysical MMH capacity and maximal muscular performance are broad but not clearly understood. The overall effects of physical training are positive and lead to enhancement in muscular strength, MMH capacity, cardiovascular capability, and endurance time.
