Rapid Upper Limb Assessment

RULA, which stands for Rapid Upper Limb Assessment, was created to check
if workers are at risk of developing problems in their arms and upper body because of
their work. It's used to quickly see if there are any issues and is part of a larger survey
that looks at various factors like how the job is done, the environment, and more.

When doing a RULA assessment, it's important to decide when during the
workday it should be done. You can look at the position that's held for the longest
time or the one that's the worst for the body, or you can do it at regular times
throughout the day. It looks at how the neck, trunk, and upper limbs are positioned.

They give scores for the position of the upper arm, lower arm, wrist, and
forearm (called Posture Score A), and they also estimate scores for how much you're
holding still, how often you repeat movements, and how much force you use (these
are called static loading, repetition, and force/load scores). They do the same for the
neck, trunk, and legs (called Posture Score B). Then, they combine these scores to
decide if the posture is okay or if it needs to be changed.

RULA was first made for people who work in making clothes, computer
operators, and those who do various jobs in manufacturing. But it's also been used for
carpenters, truck drivers, retail seafood workers, and people working in car factories.
It even helps figure out how different computer mouse positions affect workers.

They've checked to make sure RULA works well, and it's been proven to be
connected to reported pain. Different people scoring it also tend to agree with each
other, showing that it's consistent.