RAPID UPPER

LIMB
ASSESSMENT
-RULA
TABLE OF CONTENTS

 Original Study – Literature Review

 RULA Procedure

 RULA Strengths

 RULA Limitations

 Using the RULA – Example step-by-step guides

 Conclusion Table of Contents

ORIGINAL STUDY – LITERATURE REVIEW

 RULA is a posture, force and muscle use assessment tool developed by McAtamney and Corlett(1993) of University of
Nottingham’s Institute for Occupational Ergonomics.
 Use in ergonomic investigations of workplaces is a risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

 The risk factors under investigation are in an effort to assess four external load factors of number of movements, static
muscle work, force and postures. RULA focuses on the neck, trunk and upper limbs.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF RULA OCCURRED IN THREE PHASES.

1. Development for the method of recording the working posture

2. Scoring System Development

3. Development of the scale of action levels which provide a guide to the Risk level
RULA PROCEDURE

 Observing the task and selecting the posture(s) to assess:

• The evaluator should prepare for the assessment by interviewing the worker , understand the job tasks and demands, and observing the
worker’s movements and postures during several work cycles.
• Selection of the postures to be evaluated should be based on:
1. the most difficult postures and work tasks.
2. the posture sustained for the longest period of time.
3. the posture where the highest force loads occur.
CONT. RULA PROCEDURE

 Calculate RULA Score determine the associated Action Level

The traditional RULA sheet uses body posture diagrams and three scoring tables. The human body is divided in
two groups, Group A for upper arm, lower arm, and wrist position, and Group B for neck and trunk analysis. A scoring
system is used to assign scores at every level, with a score of 1 indicating the best posture/case.
FLOW CHART OF
RULA
RULA
WORKSHEET
RULA STRENGTHS

 RULA still influential in the ergonomic field

 No need for special equipment.

 Quickly and easy to complete without need for an advanced degree in ergonomics.

 RULA scores indicate the level of intervention required to reduce MSD risks.

 Perfectly matches the selection criteria for most studies, ideally for sedentary working fields (quantitative, subjective, self
reporting potential, posture-based).
RULA LIMITATIONS

 When using RULA, only the right or left side is assessed at a time.

 RULA does not include assessment of the fingers and thumb.

 RULA does not provide exact engineering controls or work activity change. It gives a total job assessment.

 RULA does not provide an integrated assessment of all biomechanical risk factors.

 RULA’s scoring system may be too general in nature to differentiate various levels of risk (low, moderate, and high).
USING THE RULA –
EXAMPLE STEP-BY-
STEP GUIDES

To illustrate how RULA scores is

calculated from the RULA traditional
worksheet , we re- produce a research
results* for working postures of small
scale forging industry in Ludhiana and
Jalandhar Region.

* Jaspreet Singh, Harvinder Lal,

Gautam Kocher, 2012
STEP 8: ADD THE MUSCLE USE SCORE VALUE
SCORE
IN THIS EXAMPLE, THE POSTURE IS REPEATED 4X PER MINUTE. THEREFORE, THE SCORE IS +1.
STEP 9: ADD THE LOAD SCORE VALUE
IN THIS EXAMPLE, THE LOAD IS GREATER THAN 4.4 LBS. AND REPEATED. THEREFORE, THE SCORE IS +2.
STEP 11: DETERMINE
THE ASSOCIATED
ACTION LEVEL

 The requirements for action into

which the grand scores are
divided is summarized into
Action level as illustrated in the
following table.
CONCLUSION

RULA is a popular ergonomic assessment method to identify risk factors of the posture, force and muscle risk factors for
work related musculoskeletal disorder. RULA considers biomechanical and postural load requirements of job tasks/demands
on the neck, trunk and upper extremities.
THANK YOU