Monitoring and classifying evidence-based workload for profiling manual handling occupations

The majority of employments with occupational musculoskeletal hazards can be classified as manual handling jobs in manufacturing and the public health sector. The purpose of this study was to monitor and classify evidence-based workload of a manual handling target group of nurses using a modified Delphi with three independent consecutive surveys. With its focus on maximizing participants´ judgment abilities, the modified Delphi technique is a non-compromising tool for decision making. As a result of three different and independent survey rounds, the tasks and maneuvers of the target group could be divided into six job categories. With 6 and 7 point Likert scales, both loading level and frequency were determined within each category allowing a final evidence-based classification of tasks and maneuvers at risk allowing a better profiling of manual handling occupations e.g. nursing.