ASTM_D_6804_-_02_2015.pdf

Designation:D680402(Reapproved 2015)Standard Guide forHand Hole Design in Corrugated Boxes1This standard is issued under the fixed designation D6804;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1.Scope1.1 This standard provides guidelines for designing pre-cutapertures intended for use as hand holes in corrugated boxesduring manual handling of boxed cargo.1.2 LimitationsThis standard offers guidance for packagedevelopment and for subsequent testing of boxes to measureperformance.It is not intended to provide specific informationon the design of hand holes.1.3 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regardedas the standard.The SI units are for information only.1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns,if any,associated with its use.It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-bility of regulatory requirements prior to use.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2D585 Practice for Sampling and Accepting a Single Lot ofPaper,Paperboard,Fiberboard,and Related Product(Withdrawn 2010)3D996 Terminology of Packaging and Distribution Environ-mentsD1974 Practice for Methods of Closing,Sealing,and Rein-forcing Fiberboard BoxesD4332 Practice for Conditioning Containers,Packages,orPackaging Components for TestingD5276 Test Method for Drop Test of Loaded Containers byFree FallE4 Practices for Force Verification of Testing MachinesE122 Practice for Calculating Sample Size to Estimate,WithSpecified Precision,the Average for a Characteristic of aLot or Process3.Terminology3.1 DefinitionsGeneral definitions for packaging and dis-tribution environments are found in Terminology D996.3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:3.2.1 hand holesapertures,pre-cut in corrugated boxes bybox manufacturers,as requested by box purchasers.Theseapertures facilitate manual handling during distribution andimprove grip during handling.4.Significance and Use4.1 It may be desirable at times to provide hand holes incorrugated boxes.Package designers use hand holes to solveergonomic and handling problems associated with large orawkward containers.This guide provides an aid for properhand hole design and use.4.2 Ergonomics:4.2.1 In studying and applying ergonomic principles,ofprimary concern is the need to provide a safe work environ-ment for material handlers who may be required to lift ortransport packages.A safe work environment is difficult todefine and varies with the package in question.Severalergonomic safety issues involve repetitive motions and spineloading in the lifting process.Other issues involve finger andfoot protection.4.2.2 In distribution centers or warehouses,low back disor-ders have been identified as areas of elevated risk.Low backproblems continue to represent the most common and costlymusculoskeletal disorders in the work place.44.2.3 One method used to reduce the concern of distance oflift(spinal loading)is to bring the reach of the materialhandlers hands closer to the body.With large or awkwardboxes,placing hand holes in a more advantageous position cansolve this problem.4.3 NIOSH:4.3.1 The National Institute for Occupational Safety andHealth(NIOSH)has published Work Practices Guide for1This guide is under the jurisdiction ofASTM Committee D10 on Packaging andis the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D10.27 on Paper and PaperboardProducts.Current edition approved Oct.1,2015.Published October 2015.Originallyapproved in 2002.Last previous edition approved in 2011 as D6804 02(2011).DOI:10.1520/D6804-02R15.2For referenced ASTM standards,visit the ASTM website,www.astm.org,orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org.For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information,refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.3The last approved version of this historical standard is referenced onwww.astm.org.4“Effects of Box Features on Spine Loading during Warehouse Order Selecting,”Marras,Granata,Davis,Allread,and Jorgensen,The Institute for Ergonomics,OhioState University.Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 Manual Lifting.5This document may be of assistance indeveloping proper hand holes and their placement for a specificpackage.4.4 Improper Use of Hand Holes:4.4.1 Because of past lawsuits involving the use and misuseof hand holes,the corrugated box industry prefers the termaccess hole instead of hand hole on specifications.Thisterminology may have to be agreed upon between supplier anduser.Fig.14.4.2 Since all end use conditions and requirements cannotbe foreseen and since designing for worst case scenario for allapplications is prohibitively expensive,designer