DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF MOBILE BASED DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR POSTURAL ASSESSMENT OF AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES USING RAPID UPPER LIMB ASSESSMENT (RULA) TECHNIQUE

Abstract

Agricultural workers, especially rural people suffer from musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in different parts of the body,especially low and upper back pain, during different agricultural activities. The causes of MSDs in agriculture is result of heavy burden, repetitive motion, awkward working postures, long time working and use of non-ergonomically designed traditional tools and implements. Ergonomic risk factors involved in working environment can be measured by using various assessment tools to determine the worker’s capabilities and limitations. The work-related risks can be measured directly by using some of the scientifically proven postural assessment tools like RULA, REBA etc. Standard assessment worksheets or tables are used to evaluate the working posture during each operations or activities. RULA is a method designed to provide a quick analysis of the demands on a person’s upper limb. It provided an objective measure of the MSDs risk caused by tasks where the demands on the upper body are high RULA technique is primarily assessed the upper limb (hand, wrist, elbow, shoulder), but also the neck and low back (due to trunk postures). Mobile Based Decision Support System (MBDSSs) serve the management, operations and planning levels of an organization (usually mid and higher management) and help people make decisions about problems that may be rapidly changing and not easily specified in advance. Several MBDSS have been developed in different agricultural activities but there is no such system available for postural assessment technique of work-related musculoskeletal disorder. It is in this context, the DSS was developed for postural assessment of agricultural activities with Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) technique. By this posture will be assessed and farmers may be suggested /recommended the correct posture to avoid developing musculoskeletal disorders.