Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L00406:body:0:p11
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L00406
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 37705–41036

movement or force is performed more than twice a minute and 'sustained' means a posture or force is held for more than 30 seconds at a time.
Examples of postures and movements that pose a risk if they are repetitive or sustained are:

Bending the back or head forwards or sideways more than 20 degrees                                                                     Figure 12  Figure 13

Bending the back or head backwards more than 5 degrees or looking up                                                                   Figure 14

Twisting the back or neck more than 20 degrees                                                                                         Figure 15  Figure 16

Working with one or both hands above shoulder height                                                                                   Figure 17

Reaching forward or sideways more than 30cm from the body                                                                              Figure 18  Figure 19

Reaching behind the body                                                                                                               Figure 20

Standing with most of the body's weight on one leg                                                                                     Figure 21

Twisting, turning, grabbing, picking or wringing actions with the fingers, hands or arms that includes excessive bending of the wrist  Figure 22

Working with the fingers close together or wide apart                                                                                  Figure 23

Squatting, kneeling, crawling, lying, semi-lying or jumping.                                                                           Figure 24

Very fast movements, for example packing bottles from a fast moving process line.                                                      Figure 25

The risk increases as the degree of bending and twisting increases. The risk is greatest when the postures and movements are extreme, that is, toward the end of the movement range, and when they feel uncomfortable for the worker.

Question 2: Does the task involve long duration?
If you have assessed a task as involving postures, movements or forces that are also repetitive (more than two per minute) and/or sustained (held for more than 30 seconds), you should determine the duration of the task.
The duration of the task is how long the task is carried out over a whole shift or continually at any time during a shift. Tasks that continue over a long period or are repeated over the work day increase the risk of injury.
As a general guideline, long duration means the task is done for more than a total of 2 hours over a whole shift or continuously for more than 30 minutes at a time.
Keep in mind that workers may use the same parts of the body to repeat similar movements when carrying out various tasks that are similar in nature over time.

Question 3: Does the task involve high or sudden force?

High forces can cause MSDs even if they are not repetitive or sustained. This means that any task involving high force may be a risk, even if it is only done occasionally or for short periods. The longer and more often force is applied and the higher the force, the greater the risk.
The risk in tasks involving high force is related to: