Evaluation and methods

for reducing posture strain

Presentation by ,
A . Mohan Raj
Evaluation of posture strain
Methods for Evaluation of posture strain are,

• RULA (Rapid Upper Limb Assessment)

• REBA (Rapid Entire Body Assessment)
• OWAS (Ovako Working Posture Analysing System)
• HARM (Hand Arm Risk-assessment Method)
 RULA (Rapid Upper Limb Assessment)
• In a RULA analysis, the positions of six different body
regions are considered: upper arm, forearm, wrists, neck,
trunk (upper torso) and legs. Based on the deviations of each
body part from the “neutral” position, the weight of any
loads, and the nature of movements (static or dynamic), an
overall score is calculated. This final score between 1–7
corresponds to a ranking, which indicates to the analyst
whether the posture presents an injury risk. The final score is
used as an indication to show how soon it is necessary to do
something about the observed posture.
 REBA (Rapid Entire Body Assessment)
• REBA (Hignett & McAtamney, 2000) is a similar method for
evaluating body postures during work tasks, but unlike
RULA it focuses on whole-body intensive work. A REBA
analysis considers the same six body regions as RULA, but it
goes one step further by also taking couplings and grips into
consideration. Points are added for conditions that worsen the
nature of the posture, and points can also be subtracted if
something contributes towards lessening the loading impact
of the posture (such as gravity-assisted postures). The final
score between 1–15 is calculated using the REBA assessment
form.
 OWAS (Ovako Working Posture Analysing System)

• OWAS, short for Ovako Working Posture Analysing System,

is somewhat similar to REBA and RULA in that it provides a
figure indicating how harmful a posture is (Louhevaara and
Suurnäkki, 1992). Since it originated in the steel industry, the
method was initially designed with heavy lifting in mind. The
analysis result is a four-digit score describing posture ,where
the first value is concerned with the back, the second the
arms, the third the legs and the fourth weight/external load.
The end result highlights the areas where most of the riskiest
work postures appear
 HARM (Hand Arm Risk-assessment
Method)
• HARM (Douwes and de Kraker, 2014) is a method
developed by researchers at the Dutch institute TNO (the
Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research),
specifically tailored to analysing risks for MSDs in the hand
and arm, and it takes into account both posture of the arms,
wrists, neck and head, and also time aspects (including
repetitiveness) and forces. The method exists as HARM1.0
(Douwes and de Kraker, 2014) and the updated HARM 2.0
(TNO, 2012) with reduces the relative weight of task
duration, simplifies the force categories and includes some
clarifications and changes to the instructions and the manual.
 Methods for reducing posture strain
Workplace Layout
• One of the best ways to avoid workplace strains and sprains is to design a
workspace that reduces injury risk factors. Factors to consider include:
• Height of the work to be performed: Workers should be able to sit or stand erect
without having to lean forward. Storage should be organized such that the
heaviest items are stored between knee and shoulder height to avoid bending
and reaching overhead.
• Standing workstations: Long-term standing can place excessive stress on the
back and legs. Where long-term standing is required, a footrest or rail, resilient
floor mats, height-adjustable chairs or stools, and opportunities for workers to
change positions should be provided.
• Seated workstations: Chairs should be fully adjustable, especially where
workstations are used by multiple users.
• Overhead storage: If items must be stored overhead, a warehouse ladder,
stepstool or other means should be provided to achieve better lifting conditions.
 Methods for reducing posture strain
Proper Lifting Techniques
• To avoid injury, follow these steps for proper lifting and material
handling:
1.Warm Up: Your muscles need good blood flow to perform properly.
Consider simple exercises such as jumping jacks to get warmed up prior
to lifting tasks.
2.Stand close to load: The force exerted on your lower back is multiplied
by the distance to the object. Stand as close to the load as possible when
lifting.
3.Bend your knees: Bending your knees and keeping your upper body
upright allows you to use your legs to lift, rather than your back.
4.Grip the load: Do not lift a load if you can't get a good grip. Some loads
are not too heavy, but are simply too large to grip easily. Consider lifting
such a load with someone else.
5.Lower load in reverse: You can just as easily injure your back putting
something down as you did picking it up. Lower using your legs and
keep the load close to your body.

Things to Avoid:
• Lifting and twisting at the same time
• Throwing bags or other materials
• Working while fatigued
• Rushing
• Reaching overhead
 Methods for reducing posture strain
Mechanical Aids
• Permanent mechanical aids such as pneumatic lifts, conveyors, and
automatic material handling equipment should be considered when
designing a workspace to reduce the amount of manual material
handling as much as possible.
• Temporary mechanical aids such as hand trucks, carts, book trucks,
and pallet jacks should be used whenever possible to reduce the
amount of force required to move objects. Please note, electric pallet
jacks are considered Industrial Lift Trucks (ILT) or forklifts and
require training and certification to operate.
 Methods for reducing posture strain
Material Handling Training
• Individuals who are required to conduct lifting and material handling tasks as
part of their work responsibilities should receive training, which covers the
following topics:
• The nature of strains and sprain injuries
• Proper warm up prior to lifting
• Personal protective equipment for material handling (e.g. gloves, safety shoes,
etc. See (add link)
• Task assessments
• Proper lifting techniques
• Techniques to use for difficult lifting jobs (e.g. oversized loads, lifts over the
shoulders or below the knees, etc.)
• Personal risk factors for strains and sprains