MMC-ISO — Manual Material Handling (ISO 11228-1)
An international standardised compliance protocol establishing ergonomic limits and risk estimation for manual lifting, lowering, and carrying.
What is MMC-ISO?
ISO 11228-1 integrates international data across four scientific approaches — epidemiological, biomechanical, metabolic/physiological, and psychophysical. It establishes an absolute baseline Reference Mass (typically 25 kg for the general working population under ideal conditions) and applies reduction multipliers as real-world conditions stray from the ideal.
When to use MMC-ISO
Use when setting corporate safety policy, conducting regulatory compliance audits, or designing production spaces involving manual lifting of objects 3 kg or more across standard 8–12 hour shifts.
Primary citation: ISO 11228-1:2021. Ergonomics — Manual handling — Part 1: Lifting, lowering and carrying.
What MMC-ISO assesses
The body segments and task variables evaluated in a MMC-ISO assessment.
What it assesses
- Object mass and lifting frequency
- Transport distance and load dimensions
- Grip coupling quality
- Trunk twisting angles
Scoring and action levels
Final score range: Lifting Index (LI) / simplified Annex tables
Developed by: ISO 11228-1
How Ergocure.ai applies MMC-ISO
Ergocure AI derives the ISO 11228-1 multipliers — horizontal and vertical distance, lift height, trunk asymmetry, frequency and grip coupling — from a short lift video plus a few self-reported load details, or camera-free from a structured survey. It computes the Lifting Index against the 25 kg reference mass and flags out-of-range lifts, then a certified ergonomist validates every result.
Captured on any phone, scored for MMC-ISO, and validated by a certified ergonomist — face-blurred on-device.
MMC-ISO — frequently asked questions
What is MMC-ISO (Manual Material Handling (ISO 11228-1))?
An international standardised compliance protocol establishing ergonomic limits and risk estimation for manual lifting, lowering, and carrying.
What is a good MMC-ISO score?
Lifting Index (LI) / simplified Annex tables. A score of LI ≤ 1.0 (green) is safe — risk managed for the workforce — while LI > 2.0 (red) is unacceptable and means immediate engineering change.
When should you use MMC-ISO?
Use when setting corporate safety policy, conducting regulatory compliance audits, or designing production spaces involving manual lifting of objects 3 kg or more across standard 8–12 hour shifts.
How does Ergocure score MMC-ISO?
Ergocure AI derives the ISO 11228-1 multipliers — horizontal and vertical distance, lift height, trunk asymmetry, frequency and grip coupling — from a short lift video plus a few self-reported load details, or camera-free from a structured survey. It computes the Lifting Index against the 25 kg reference mass and flags out-of-range lifts, then a certified ergonomist validates every result.
Who developed MMC-ISO?
MMC-ISO was developed by ISO 11228-1. ISO 11228-1:2021. Ergonomics — Manual handling — Part 1: Lifting, lowering and carrying.
Related assessment methods
Methods commonly used alongside MMC-ISO in a complete ergonomic assessment.
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