Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to develop and test an expert system for the design of new and existing repetitive manual materials handling (RMMH) tasks. For new jobs, the expert system provides recommendations on the maximum acceptable weight to be handled under a variety of worker and task variables. For existing jobs, the expert system provides possible solutions to the design of RMMH tasks if the weight handled on the job is greater than the recommended one. The expert system was implemented on an IBM PCXT personal computer. Two examples on how to utilise the expert system in designing new and existing jobs are given.
