MHAC--an assessment tool for analysing manual material handling tasks

This paper describes an assessment tool for analysing material handling tasks and its application for material handling tasks prevalent in engine bearing industry. After a close observation of material handling tasks spread over many days, a list of tasks and parameters/variables affecting those tasks was made. Ergonomic conditions present in these tasks and their deficiencies were then identified and on the basis of the relationships between the tasks and their affinities, categories were developed. Using the data of those categories and various conditions and parameters, an assessment tool called MHAC (material handling assessment chart) was developed.