course material

1. Class Preparation Guide
Class Preparation GuideEvaluation of the Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation1. The main
purpose of this material (chapter, article, book, video, etc.) is…(State as accurately as
possible the author’ s purpose for this material. What was the author trying to
accomplish?)To establish whether or not the revised NIOSH lifting equation could be used
to predict the probability of the development of lower back pain, by evaluating the
correlation or lack thereof between the prevalence of LBP (Lower Back Pain), and exposure
to lifting stressors as measured by the revised NIOSH lifting equation.2. The key question
addressed in this material is…(If not specifically addressed, figure out the key question or
problem that was in the mind of the author when the material was developed. In other
words, what key question or problem is addressed?)• Is the revised National Institute for
Occupational Health lifting equation, a valid yet practical tool for assessing or predicting
low back pain due to manual lifting?• Can the effectiveness of the equation in identifying
jobs with higher rates of LBP be evaluated?3. The context of this material is…(Identify the
political, economic, social, historical, etc., background surrounding this material. This may
include information on the existing knowledge on the subject and gaps in our existing
knowledge.)The NIOSH had just released a revised form of the lifting equation, and the
researchers argued that there was a huge shortage of materials that evaluated the new
guidelines provided, with only one retrospective study being found by the time this
particular study was being carried out in 1999. The results of that retrospective study
showed that the new equation could be used to predict the probability of membership in to
the high-risk group. Establishing the effectiveness was definitely of importance due to the
need to establish whether or not the revised equation could help in the identification of
hazardous lifting tasks.4. The main point(s) of view presented in this material is/are…
(Identify the author’ s view of the topic? Points of view can be theoretical, ideological,
religious, methodological, etc., and usually play a large part in determining the main
assumptions (next item addressed).• There is a need for more studies to establish the
reliability of the revised lifting equation when it comes to the identification of hazardous
lifting tasks.• There is a need to establish exactly what more the revised equation can do,
beyond establishing risk for lower back pain. A good example being establishing the
populations at risk, by correlating the development of lower back pain, with a lifting index
of between 2 to 3.• There is a need to utilize the lifting index more, when it comes to
predicting the risk of lower back pains, more so for workers in manual lifting jobs5. The
main assumption(s) underlying the reasoning in this material is/are…. (Identify the

2. generalizations the author does not think must be defended in the material. Assumptions
are seldom specifically identified by authors. This is usually where the author’ s reasoning
begins.)• The reader is conversant with the revised NIOSH lifting equation• Lower back
pain is commonly caused by manual lifting.• All the respondents were being sincere in their
responses, and that these responses were not simply given due to job dissatisfaction.• The
sample selected was a representative one• The unexposed population rates were the rates
only for those who have not been exposed to any known risks for developing lower back
pains6. The key concept(s) in this material is/are…. (Identify the most important ideas,
theories, definitions, etc., used to support the author’ s reasoning.)Note: This section will
likely be the longest in any set of notes as it is where all the key definitions, theories,
models, etc., presented in the work should be summarized.The key concepts are that the
revised NIOSH lifting equation can be used in the prediction of the development of lower
back pains, such that the equation can actually be employed in a work setting to determine
how hazardous the lifting tasks associated with the particular job are. The research also
attempts to argue that the lifting equation can be used for other tasks, other than to simply
establish the risk for the development of lower back pains. The researchers argue that the
equation should also be used to establish the percentage of the population that would likely
be at risk of developing lower back pains associated with lifting. The lifting index is also
identified as an important tool when it comes to identifying risk of LBP, with jobs with a
lifting index of less than 1 carrying limited risk, and the risk gradually increasing as the
index goes beyond 1.7. The alternative(s) considered in this material is/are…(Identify the
alternative answers to the key question or alternative solutions to the problem at issue the
author included in the reasoning.)• The alternative use of the lifting index as a predictor of
risk of LBP related to manual lifting is a noteworthy suggestion.• The alternative use of the
revised NIOSH lifting equation to establish the percentage of the population at risk.8. The
most important information in this material is…(Identify the key information the author
used to support his arguments/analysis. Identify the facts, data, evidence, experiences, etc.,
the author uses to reach their findings.)The findings show that indeed the revised NIOSH
lifting equation, more so the lifting index component can be effectively used to determine
the degree of risk associated with any lifting task, with the findings showing that indeed any
tasks below 1 could be carried out with minimal risk of developing LBP, the highest risk was
found to bee in tasks with a lifting index of between 2 and 3 in which the risk of developing
LBP was twice as high as in those with an LI of below 1.9. The main inferences and/or
interpretations of this material are…(Identify the most important findings and conclusions
the author presents in the material).• The lifting index component of the revised lifting
equation is the most important tool when it comes to predicting the risk of developing LBP
due to manual lifting.• The index can also be used to identify populations at risk depending
on the lifting indexes of the manual lifting tasks they carry out in the course of their work,
thus enabling a calculation of the percentage of the population at risk.10. Answer both of
the following:a. If this line of reasoning is taken seriously, the implications and
consequences are…(Identify the implications and consequences if the author’ s findings
and conclusions are taken seriously. Identify those both the author states and those not
stated.)• If this line of reasoning is taken seriously, any task with a lifting index of above 1

3. will require special training to carry out. In some situations, such as in cases where the LI is
above 3 there may be need for strict regulations against the use of manual lifting.• If taken
seriously, establishing work related (manual lifting), lower back pains will be much easier,
as by simply calculating the lifting index of a particular task, one will be able to establish the
probability of the injury having been caused by manual lifting.b. If this line of reasoning is
not taken seriously, the implications and consequences are…(Identify the implications and
consequences likely to follow if people ignore the author’ s findings and conclusions.)If not
taken seriously, the rates of LBP may continue to rise, as establishing a hazard associated
with any task is very important, and manual lifting is no different.Summary: In one
paragraph review the material to identify significant topics included in order to later refer
back to the work at a later time if needed for an assignment.The significant topics included
in the material, are the features of the NIOSH lifting equation, the potential risks associated
with manual lifting, such as lower back pains, as well as the importance of the lifting index
when it comes to establishing populations at risk.ReferenceWalters, T., Baron, S., Piacitelli,
L., Anderson, V., Skov, T., Haring-Sweeney, M., Wall, D., & Fine, L. (1999). Evaluation of the
Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation. Spine 24(4), 386-395.