The KIM Tool - Key Indicatior Method

The Key Indicator Method was developed for Risk Assessment on the screening level in case of Manual Handling of Loads (MHL).

2 different Worksheets for

Lifting, Holding, Carrying and
Pulling, Pushing

are available.

Origin

The method has been developed by the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) and Committee of the Laender for Occupational Safety and Health (LASI) in close collaboration to practioneers, safety representatives, company physicians, employers and employees associations, bodies of insurance and scientific institutes.

A Blueprint has been published in 1996, after that a five years scientific and user test programme has been performed.

The final versions were published in 2001 and 2002.

Conception

Here are some major points concerning this method:

• Task description and assessment are separated. Task description is objective, without valuation. Therefore the task description keeps valid, even if the details of risk assessment procedure change do to changes in legal ordinance.
  
  
  
  • The task description is limited to key indicators – not all features of annex 1 of Council Directive are considered in detail. However all features ot the annex 1 will be covered by the key indicators indirectly. All items will be scored in several steps from minimum to maximum value. The user doesn´t need exact measurements. Principle: Calculated fuzziness.
    
  • The risk assessment is based on a dose model: duration multiplied by intensity. It takes biomechanical, metabolic and individual aspects into account. The same principle is applied for all kinds of physical workloads.
    
  
  
• The Key Indicator Methods for Lifting, Holding, Carrying and Pushing, Pulling are part of a system of KIM for all kinds of physical workloads (further sections are in development and covers repetitive manual processing, high action forces, constrained postures and body movement without manual handling of load).
  
• The Key Indicator Methods can be integrated in technology and company management of OSH and can be used for epidemiological studies on enterprises level too.
  
• There is an agreement of all users for further developement.
  

Target User population

• Employers and their delegates: technologists, ergonomists, planning engineers, personal planner, foremen
  
• Employees and their deputies
  
• Safety officers, safety representatives, company physiscians
  
• Inspectors
  

Qualitiy of methodology

Reliability, validity and consistence are verified. Potential assessement errors in use of KIM are identified and the instructions are designed to minimise the likelihood of misinterpretations.

Useful Links

Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA)
Committee of the Laender for Occupational Safety and Health (LASI)
Learning and Teaching Tool rueckenkompass

Literature

• Steinberg, U.; Caffier, G.; Mohr, D.; Liebers, F.; Behrendt, S.: Modellhafte Erprobung des Leitfadens Sicherheit und Gesundheitsschutz bei der manuellen Handhabung von Lasten. Bremerhaven: Wirtschaftsverl. NW 1998. (Schriftenreihe der Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin: Forschung, Fb 804)
  
• Steinberg, U.; Behrendt, S., Bradl, I.; Caffier, G.; Gebhardt, Hj.; Liebers, F.; Müller, B.H.; Schäfer, A.; Schlicker, M.; Schulze, J.: Erprobung und Evaluierung des Leitfadens Sicherheit und Gesundheitsschutz bei der manuellen Handhabung von Lasten. Bremerhaven: Wirtschaftsverl. NW 2000. (Schriftenreihe der Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin: Forschung, Fb 897)
  
• Jürgens. W.W.; Mohr, D.; Pangert, R.; Pernack, E.; Schultz, K.; Steinberg, U.: Handlungsanleitung zur Beurteilung der Arbeitsbedingungen beim Heben und Tragen von Lasten. LASI Veröffentlichung 9. Hrsg. Länderausschuss für Arbeitsschutz und Sicherheitstechnik. 4. Überarbeitete Auflage 2001
  
• Jürgens. W.W.; Mohr, D.; Pangert, R.; Pernack, E.; Schultz, K.; Steinberg, U.: Handlungsanleitung zur Beurteilung der Arbeitsbedingungen beim Ziehen und Schieben von Lasten. LASI Veröffentlichung LV29. Hrsg. Länderausschuss für Arbeitsschutz und Sicherheitstechnik. 2002
  
• Steinberg, U.; Caffier, G.; Liebers, F.: Assessment of Manual Material Handling based on Key Indicators – German Guidelines. In: Handbook of Standards in Ergonomics and Human Factors. Ed. by W. Karwowski. Lawrenz Erlbaum Associates. Mahwah, New Jersey, London 2006. S. 319-338