OSHA Standards Material handling is the movement, storage, and control of goods and products. It can be achieved either by manual or mechanical means. Manual material handling (MMH) relies on force and effort supplied by the human body. It is most common in industrial settings, such as manufacturing or warehousing, but can be found in most any industry. Manual material handling is associated with performing lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, and carrying tasks. The 2009 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index of the top 10 causes of disabling injuries in 2007 (estimated at $52 billion) shows that overexertion represents nearly 13% of all injuries and 24% of all workers compensation costs for the WC insurance industry. Low back pain is a common complaint from performing these activities, but upper extremity disorders such as shoulder pain are common as well. READ MORE »





