Force
Use the grid below to determine the level of force exerted with the hand and the amount of time that the force is exerted. It is possible to select intermediate scores on the grid if appropriate. If more than one type of force is exerted, select the highest score obtained with the grid.
There are two methods to determine the level of hand force:
- Where possible, ask the person doing the work if there are any actions that require muscle effort of the arm, hand or fingers. If such actions are identified, ask the worker to describe the level of force involved in each action (eg light force, moderate force, strong force, or very strong force).
- Otherwise, use the written descriptions below to determine the level of force exerted with the hand.
| Light force | There is no indication of any particular effort |
|---|---|
| Moderate force | Force needs to be exerted. For example:
|
| Strong force | Force is obviously high, strong or heavy |
| Very strong force | Force is near to the maximum level that the worker can apply |
Remember that it is important to consider the time when the force assessment is made. Workers may describe the level of force to be greater at the end of the day or after they have done the task for several hours.
Assess both the left (L) and right (R) arm.
You will need to use the grid to assess:
- The level of force exerted with the hand, and;
- The amount of time that the force is exerted
Note: Hover over table for more detail, (over A2 and between A2 and R9).
*Changes to the task are required due to unacceptable levels of force.
For example, a moderate force exerted with the right hand for part of the cycle time produces a score of Amber 2.
It is possible to select intermediate scores if appropriate.
For example, a moderate to strong force exerted for a part of the cycle time could be scored between Amber 2 and Red 9. In this case, a score of Red 5 or Red 6 might be appropriate.
If more than one type of force is exerted, select the highest score. For example, if a task involves both a light force exertion for a part of the time and a moderate force exertion for a part of the time, select the highest score.
In some circumstances, it may not be practical to speak to workers about the level of force involved in the task. In this case, some descriptions are provided to help estimate the level of force applied with one hand. However, determining a hand force level based solely on observation is discouraged as this is vulnerable to errors in judgment.
Sometimes it can be difficult to determine whether the level of hand force is light, moderate, strong or very strong. Some other tools and techniques are available to help make a more accurate assessment of the level of force. These are described further in the FAQs, which you might like to read once you are familiar with how to use ART and have practiced a couple of assessments.