Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA)
From EuroVR Knowledge Base
Description
The Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) (McAtamney and Corlett, 1993) is a survey method used to assess biomechanical and postural loading on the whole body, focusing particularly on the upper limbs, neck, and trunk. The assessment is carried out on a snapshot of the work cycle. The evaluator usually observes the types of postures adopted while the user is carrying out her work task before selecting postures for assessment (e.g. the longest held posture, most frequent posture or the worst posture(s) adopted). The assessment generates an action list indicating the level of intervention required to reduce the risks of injury due to adopting a specific posture. There is an online version of this tool on the internet.
Primary Reference or Source
- McAtamney, L. and Corlett, E.N. (1993). RULA: A survey method for the investigation of work-related upper limb disorders. Applied Ergonomics. 24(2). 91-99.
