RULA Analysis
Posture was measured
through a standardized rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) tool
which includes measures of angular deviation from ideal posture,
and consideration of load and balance (McAtamney
and Corlett, 1993).
Some improvement was noted
in the RULA analysis for different postures. Especially notable
was the decrease in strain related to the use of pointing devices
for both the Macintosh and the PC. RULA scores in each case
dropped from action level 3 to action level 2 (see figure 1
below). This is also true for source document handling with the
Macintosh (see illustrations below).
Figure 1. |
|
pc: keyboarding |
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mac: keyboarding |
|
pc: pointing device |
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mac: pointing device |
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answering phone |
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mac: reaching for source documents |
|
Action Level Legend-
Action level 1 - (a RULA score of 1 or 2) indicates that posture is acceptable if it is not maintained or repeated for long periods.
Action level 2 - (a RULA score of 3 or 4) indicates that further investigation is needed and changes may be required.
Action level 3 - (a RULA score of 5 or 6) indicates that investigation and changes are required soon.
Action level 4 - (a RULA score of 7 or 8) indicates that investigation and changes are required immediately.
(McAtamney and Corlett, 1993)
Reference:
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.