Workplace safety and OSHAAwarenessFoundationAvailable in English · Spanish

Ergonomics and Manual Material Handling

Recognize the job features that cause strain injuries, set up your workstation and handle loads without hurting yourself

Duration: 1 hour
Modules: 4
Final exam: 70% to pass
Certificate: No expiry

$59

Lifetime access to the course and your certificate
Verifiable Certificate of Completion. Certificate does not expire.
3 exam attempts
Progress saved to your account on every slide
The full course, every module, quiz and the final exam, is available in Spanish. Choose your language inside the course at any time.

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About this course

Back strains, sore shoulders, tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome rarely come from one accident. They build up from the way a job is set up: the reach to a parts bin, the angle of a microscope, the height of a pallet, the force needed on a crimp tool. This course teaches you to recognize those risk factors and what to do about them.

You will learn the five main ergonomic risk factors (force, awkward posture, repetition, vibration and contact stress), the early symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders and why reporting them early matters. You will learn how ergonomics is regulated in the US: there is no federal OSHA ergonomics standard, but OSHA enforces serious ergonomic hazards under the General Duty Clause, and states such as California (8 CCR 5110) and Minnesota have their own requirements. You will set up benches, microscopes and inspection stations for neutral posture, choose hand tools that reduce strain, and learn how the Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation and its 23 kg (51 lb) load constant are used as a job design tool rather than a legal limit. The final module covers team lifts, carts and lift assists, the hierarchy of controls, OSHA recordkeeping of MSDs and your responsibilities.

The course is for operators, assemblers, inspectors, machinists, warehouse staff and supervisors in electronics assembly, aerospace machining, metal fabrication and warehousing.

What this course does not do. It is general awareness training. It does not assess your workstation or your lifts, and it does not qualify you to perform ergonomic assessments. Your employer must still evaluate its own jobs, provide controls, explain its own ergonomics program and reporting route, and train you on any hoists, lift assists or powered handling equipment before you use them. Where a state rule such as Cal/OSHA 8 CCR 5110 applies, the employer must meet its specific requirements. Employers outside the US follow their own national regulations.

The course closes with a 10-question examination drawn from a bank of 20. On passing you receive a PlanetISO Certificate of Completion for the online instruction, with lifetime access to the course. The certificate does not expire.

What you will be able to do

Identify the five main ergonomic risk factors in manufacturing and warehouse tasks.
Recognize the early symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders and explain why they should be reported early.
Explain how ergonomic hazards are regulated in the US, including the General Duty Clause and Cal/OSHA 8 CCR 5110.
Set up a bench, microscope or inspection station for neutral posture and choose hand tools that reduce strain.
Explain how the Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation is used as a job design tool and why its load constant is not a legal limit.
Apply safe lifting practice and choose team lifts, carts or lift assists where a load calls for them.
Apply the hierarchy of controls to an ergonomic hazard and describe how MSDs are handled under OSHA recordkeeping.

Course outline

1
Musculoskeletal disorders, risk factors and the rules that apply
What musculoskeletal disorders are, the five main ergonomic risk factors, why early symptoms matter, and how ergonomics is regulated in the US without a federal OSHA ergonomics standard.
About 15 minutes, then a module quiz
2
Workstations, benches, microscopes and hand tools
Setting up seated and standing benches, reach zones, microscope and inspection stations, lighting, hand tools and recovery breaks so that precision work does not wear out the body.
About 15 minutes, then a module quiz
3
Manual material handling and the NIOSH lifting equation
What makes a lift risky, how the Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation is used as a job design tool, safer lifting practice, team lifts, carts, pushing and pulling, and lift assists.
About 15 minutes, then a module quiz
4
Reporting, recordkeeping and fixing the job
Why early reporting matters, how MSDs are handled under OSHA recordkeeping, applying the hierarchy of controls to ergonomic hazards, worker participation, and what your employer must still provide.
About 15 minutes, then a module quiz
Final examination and certificate
10 questions drawn from the course bank. Score 70% or higher to receive your Certificate of Completion.

Who it is for

Assembly, soldering, rework and inspection operators in electronics manufacturing
Machinists, fabricators and maintenance staff who load fixtures, stock and tooling
Warehouse, stores, shipping and receiving staff
Supervisors, leads and safety committee members who review jobs and respond to symptom reports

Prerequisites

None.

Questions

Is there an OSHA ergonomics standard this course satisfies?

No. Federal OSHA has no ergonomics standard; the one issued in 2000 was rescinded in 2001. OSHA can cite serious ergonomic hazards under the General Duty Clause. This course supports an employer's ergonomics program with general awareness training, but it does not replace the employer's own job evaluations and controls.

Does this course meet the training requirement of Cal/OSHA 8 CCR 5110?

It can cover the general topics: exposures, symptoms, the importance of early reporting and common control methods. The rule also requires training on the employer's own program and the methods it uses at your site, which only your employer can provide.

Does the course tell me the maximum weight I may lift?

No. There is no OSHA lifting weight limit. The Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation starts at 23 kg (51 lb) for an ideal lift and reduces it for real conditions; the right limit depends on the task. Follow your site's handling rules and ask for an aid or a team lift when in doubt.

Will this course train me to use a hoist, vacuum lifter or forklift?

No. Lifting equipment and powered industrial trucks need equipment-specific training and, for forklifts, a practical evaluation by your employer under 29 CFR 1910.178(l).

What certificate do I receive?

A PlanetISO Certificate of Completion for the online instruction, showing the course title, your name and your exam result. It does not expire. It is not an OSHA credential and does not make you an ergonomist.

What happens if I fail the exam?

You have 3 attempts. Each attempt draws a different 10-question set from the bank of 20, and module quizzes can be retaken without limit to prepare.

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About this course

What you will be able to do

Course outline

Musculoskeletal disorders, risk factors and the rules that apply

Workstations, benches, microscopes and hand tools

Manual material handling and the NIOSH lifting equation

Reporting, recordkeeping and fixing the job

Final examination and certificate

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