Study design: Two laboratory studies and one field study evaluated the safety and test-retest reliability of a new test of lift capacity. The first two studies were conducted in a carefully controlled laboratory setting. The first study investigated the safety and intra-rater reliability of the EPIC Lift Capacity test protocol with healthy adult subjects. The second study assessed the safety and inter-rater reliability of the test with disabled subjects. The third study was conducted in the field with 65 evaluators and investigated the safety and intra-rater reliability of the test with healthy adult subjects.
Objective: To assess the safety and reliability of a new test of lift capacity.
Summary of background data: A new test of lift capacity has been developed. Test development occurred within the context of ergonomic standards and guide-lines of the major professional associations and public agencies that govern test development in the United States.
Methods: In study no. 1, 26 healthy subjects participated. In study no. 2, 14 disabled subjects participated. In study no. 3, 318 healthy subjects participated. After subjects underwent basic screening and warm-up, the EPIC Lift Capacity test was administered. One to 2 weeks later, the test was administered again. Correlations between the times of testing were calculated.
Results: No subjects were injured. Hamstring soreness the next day that resolved without complication was reported by some healthy subjects. None of the disabled subjects reported new symptoms.
Conclusion: The safety and reliability of the EPIC Lift Capacity test was adequately demonstrated in a laboratory setting and across multiple field sites with evaluators who have varying types and degrees of professional preparation.