RULA, the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment, was created in 1993 by McAtamney and Corlett at the University of Nottingham. It flags postures of the neck, trunk, arms and wrists that can lead to musculoskeletal disorders.
How the score works
- 1 to 2: low risk, no action needed.
- 3 to 4: moderate risk, consider changes.
- 5 to 6: high risk, act soon.
- 7: very high risk, act immediately.
Where it fits
RULA suits static or repetitive tasks: assembly lines, office workstations, vibrating tools and logistics stations. It is a first-line screen rather than a full analysis, since it does not cover the lower body and is less reliable for fast, dynamic movement.
Automated in CAPTIV
TEA’s CAPTIV Score detects postures from wearable motion sensors, uses synchronised video to split work into phases, and calculates scores instantly with visual reports. The result is faster and more objective than scoring by eye.
From Consort XPR: We supply TEA CAPTIV with its T-Sens sensors, and can add Tobii eye tracking to see where attention goes during the task as well as how the body moves.
Adapted from RULA Method: Fast, Effective Upper Body Posture Assessment, published by TEA (21 July 2025). Content and images used with permission.
