Rapid Upper-Limb Assessment (RULA)

Developed by: University of South Florida, based on original publication by McAtamney & Corlett (1993).

Description: RULA is an assessment designed to quickly identify risk of upper limb disorders in a workplace task. It takes user-inputted data and assigns scores for posture, muscle use and force/load to determine a final score. The evaluation includes arm and wrist position, as well as general body posture, hand loads, and the duration/frequency of the task. A larger score indicates higher risk, and RULA tends to be more sensitive at detecting potential MSD risks than other assessment tools. Prior to using RULA, the assessor should be familiar with the assessment method described in the original publication (reference below).

The linked resource is a one-page, non-fillable PDF intended for print or tablet-annotation. 

Original publication: McAtamney, L., & Corlett, E. N. (1993). RULA: a survey method for the investigation of work-related upper limb disorders. Applied ergonomics, 24(2), 91-99. https://doi.org/10.1016/0003-6870(93)90080-S

Keywords: RULA, Upper Limb, Arm, Shoulder, Elbow, Wrist, Hand, Assessment, Posture, Form, Worksheet