Manual Handling and

Material Storage
Chapter 14

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Material Handling Injuries

20-25% of all occupational
injuries
Strains, sprains, fractures,
contusions
Hand and fingers most common
Back injuries rank second
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Preventing Injuries

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Engineering to reduce handling

Conveyors/mechanical movers
What causes the injuries?
Handling aids
PPE
Training
JSA critical
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Manual Lifting
No real rule applies to physical
size and lifting capacity
Inspect routes before carrying
load
Check for slivers, staples,
grease, water before lifting
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Lower Back Injuries

20% of all injuries & illnesses in workplace

25% of Workers Comp payments
Most caused by lifting
Worst scenario is lift and push at same time
Lowering, pulling, pushing, carrying, or
twisting
Consider load location, repetition, load
weight

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Revised Lifting Equation

NIOSH equation
Recommended Weight Limit (RWL)
RWL is defined for a specific set of task
conditions as the weight of the load that
nearly all healthy workers could perform
over a substantial period of time (8 hrs)
RWL=LC x HM x VM x DM x AM x FM x CM

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Lifting Index
Lifting (LI) is a term that provides
a relative estimate of the level of
physical stress associated with a
particular manual lifting task.
Estimate of the level of physical
stress is defined by relationship
of weight load lifted and RWL
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Lifting Index
LI =

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Load Weight
RWL

Terminology and Data

Definitions
Lifting Task-act of manually grabbing
an object of definable size and mass
with 2 hands, and vertically moving
the object without mechanical
assistance
Load Weight (L)-Weight of the object
to be lifted, in lbs. or kg, including
container
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Definitions
Horizontal location (H)--measured
from midpoint between ankles
Inches or centimeters

Vertical location (V)distance of

hands above the floor at origin of lift
If V > 70 inches, then VM = 0

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Definitions
Vertical travel distance (D)
absolute value of difference
between origin and destination
of lift
assumed between 10 (25 cm)
and 70- V (175 cm - V)
if < 10 then set D = 10
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Definitions
Asymmetry line
Horizontal line joins the mid-point
between the inner amkle bones and the
point projected on the floor directly
below the midpoint of the had grasps,
as defined by the large middle knuckle
Angle A limited to range of 0 to 135
degrees. If A > 135, then AM = 0
AM = 1 (.0032A)
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Definitions
Frequency componentFM
defined by:
Number of lifts per minute
(measured over 15 minute period)
If < .2 per minute, then F = .2

Amount of time engaged in lifting

activity
Vertical height of lift from floor
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Cryogenic Liquids
Boiling point < -238 F (-150 C)
Industrial gases
Oxygen, Nitrogen, Argon,
Hydrogen, Helium

Non-industrial gases
natural gas, LNG, liquid methane,
carbon monoxide
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Safety Precautions
Liquid or boil-off vapor can instantly
freeze human tissue
Causes carbon steel, plastic, rubber
to become very brittle
Vaporized gases create very high
pressure in sealed containers
Liquid oxygen can accelerate
combustion

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Cryogenic Liquid Expansion

Oxygen (860.1 : 1)
Nitrogen (695.6 : 1)
Neon
(1445 : 1)
All of these are measured at 1 atm
pressure and room temperature

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General Safety Practices

Only CO is toxic, none are corrosive
at ambient temperature
Spilled liquids spread rapidly and
emit extremely cold vapors
Boiling and splashing occur when
warm objects are inserted
Do not touch uninsulated pipes or
vessels

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PPE
Eye and hand protection
Safety glasses minimum
chemical goggles or face shield if
splashing possible

Loose fitting gloves for quick

removal
Pant legs outside of boots
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Special Concerns for Liquid

Oxygen
NO SMOKING where liquid oxygen is
handled or stored
Greatly increases ignitability of
organic compounds
Allow frost and fog to completely
dissipate before people or equipment
crosses exposed area
Change exposed clothing
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Safe Storage of Cryogens

Containers must be approved for
storage of cryogenic liquids
Copper, Stainless steel , aluminum
alloys
Transfer to warm lines or containers
slowly to prevent shock
Vent escaping gases--do not inhale
except oxygen

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Storage
Dewar containers (argon,
oxygen, nitrogen, helium)
non-pressurized
open-mouthed
vacuum-jacketed

Pressurized containers
for dispensing gas and/or liquid
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Chapter 15
Hoisting and Conveying
Equipment

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Block and Tackle

Safety Factor of 10 for manila
rope
Add 10% for each sheave
Divide by number of ropes from
movable block
Multiply by safety factor
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Example
Lift 2500 pounds with triple and double
block and tackle
Has 5 sheaves, add 50%
3750 pounds

Divide by 5 ropes
750 pounds

Multiply by Safety Factor

7500 pounds
1 new manila rope

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Note that...
The table in the text uses
different safety factors
You may use chart and find
working load (750 lb. from
example)
Result 13/16 manila rope
More about ropes in Ch. 10
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Conveyors
Belt, slat, apron, chain, screw,
bucket, pneumatic, aerial,
portable, live roll, flight, mobile,
vertical
Locate start button where
operator can see as much of
conveyor as possible
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Conveyors
Install stop switches on each
side of wall or floor
All personnel must know
location of switches
Use mechanical or electrical
interlocking devices to stop unit
when receiver stops
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Belt Conveyors
Consists of
belt--moving and supporting surface
idlers--supports for carrying belt
pulleys--support, move belt, control
tension
drive--imparts power to pulleys
structure--supports alignment of pulleys
and idlers

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Belt Conveyors
Hazards
Pinch points at pulleys and idlers
work on moving belt
riding belt
fire from friction or electric spark
electric shock
dust explosions
eye, respiratory irritants

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Slat and Apron Conveyors

Slat
Usually one or two endless chains
running around end sprockets
Has non-interlocking slats closely
spaced

Apron
Overlapping or interlocking plate
luggage conveyor
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Chain Conveyors
Move load by chain itself or by
parts attached the chain.
Tow type--carts driven by chains
from underneath.
Trolley type--trolleys suspended
from overhead chains.
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Shackle Conveyors
Meat hooks suspended from
overhead--can be manually or
electrically controlled.

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Screw Conveyors
Spiral mounted on a pipe or a
shaft.
Moves material by the screws
rotation either on an incline,
horizontally, or vertically.
Screw rotates in a stationary
trough.
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Bucket Conveyors
Bucket elevator--carries in a vertical
or inclined path.
Gravity discharge--operates in a
vertical, inclined, or horizontal paths.
Pivoted bucket--operates in same
paths as gravity discharge, but tips
material out.

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Pneumatic Conveyors
Arrangement of tubes or ducts
which use compressed air or
vacuums.
Can be used for bulk or solid
material.

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Aerial Conveyors
Mostly used with large material.
Can be a single carrier type or
multiple carriers.

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Other Conveyor Types

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Portable
Gravity
Live Roll
Vertical

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Elevators and Escalators

ANSI/ASME A17.1
Elevators, Escalators, and Moving
Walks
Prohibits new installations of chain
or belt drive machines
Major types are electric and
hydraulic
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Electric Elevators
Winding Drum
less than 40 high; <50 per minute
motor must lift entire weight
freight elevators only

Traction drive
hoisting rope not attached to drive
uses counterweights
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Hydraulic Elevators
Up to six stories high
Energy supplied by liquid under
pressure in a cylinder
No counterweight
Common in new installations

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Elevator Capacities
Class A--loaded by hand or hand
truck
any single peice of freight limited
to 25% of rated load capacity

Class B--passenger trucks and

automobiles
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Elevator Capacities
Class C1--Industrial Truck
loading--truck is carried
Class C2-- Industrial Truck
loading--truck not carried
Class C3--Other loading of heavy
objects in which truck not used
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Chapter 16
Ropes, Chains, and Slings

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Fiber Ropes
Natural fibers--Manila, sisal,
henequen
resist fresh and salt water
weaken 50% above 180 F
burn at 300 F

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Fiber Ropes
Synthetic Fibers--used more than natural
nylon--2.5 x breaking strength of Manila; 4 x
elasticity; resists mildew and rotting; no
swelling when wet; absorbs and stores
energy like a spring
polyester--best general purpose; 1/2 stretch
of nylon; resists rot, mildew, seawater;
burns at 480 F; weakens at 390F
polyolefin--polypropylene; polyethylene

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Polyolefin Fiber Ropes

Float; resist mildew, fungus and rot;
resists acids (except nitric) and alkali
Polypropylene--50% stronger than
Manila; burns at 330 F; weakens at
150 F
Polyethylene--Slippery, not springy

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Wire Ropes
Composed of steel wires, strand, and
core
Grades include: iron, tractor, mild
plow steel, plow steel, improved
plow steel, extra improved plow steel
Wire laid in various geometrical
configurations

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Wire Rope
Most popular configurations
6 x 19
6 x 37
actual number of wires varies

number of strands x wires per

strand
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Wire Rope
Greater number of wires per strand =
more flexibility
Fewer number of wires per strand =
abrasion and crush resistant
6 strand ropes may have fiber core
(FC) wire strand core (WSC) or ind.
wire rope core (IWRC)

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Wire Rope
For maximum flexibility, 8 strand
hoisting ropes also used
Causes of deterioration
wear from contact with sheaves or
drums
kinks--cant be removed w/o weakening
fatigue--square fracture at end of wire
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Wire Rope
More causes of deterioration
drying out of lubrication
overloading--dynamic loads
overwinding--more than one layer
mechanical abuse--running over
rope with equipment
most common cause of discarding
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Sheaves and Drums

Larger diameters = less rope
stress
Sheave groove diameters--see
table G

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