1

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Non-teaching employees are working for 8 hours a day and sometimes they

extend 1hour or 2 hours depending on the requirement of the university and to the

number of workloads needed to be submitted on that day. Non-teaching employees work

is a sedentary work, which mainly involves computer use, keeping the records of the

students and teachers, reading school reports, and answering phone calls. Thus, non-

teaching employees are usually required to sit for long hours in front of a computer.

For that reason, many individuals experiencing musculoskeletal disorders which it

affect shoulders, arms, elbows, wrists, hands, legs and feet. They are caused by forceful

or repetitive movements or poor working postures. The symptoms of these are

tenderness, aches and pains, tingling, stiffness and swelling. Lower and upper back pain

and muscle spasm could be due to incorrect seating postures which also affect the

cervical spine and neck muscles leading to pain (Crawford et al., 2005).

Musculoskeletal disorders represent one of the most common and important

occupational health problems to the office employees because of its harmful effect to the

human health, which although long neglected and it has attracted increasing concern in

recent years. By the definition, musculoskeletal disorders include a wide range of

inflammatory and degenerative conditions affecting the muscles, joints, tendons,

ligaments, nerves, bones and the localised blood circulation system, which may be caused
 2

by or aggravated by work tasks and by the effects of the immediate environment in which

work is carried out (Punnett et al., 2004).

The researcher intended to know the different postures practices and the physical

discomforts experienced by the non-teaching employees from Accounting Office,

Registrar Office and Human Resource Office. Determining and to eliminate the factors

that affect the postures of the non-teaching employees which is the main concern of this

study. The researcher provided an intervention scheme based on the results of this study

by using the ergonomic tools. For determining the prevalence of musculoskeletal

disorders in different parts of the body, the Nordic Body Map is used and for evaluating

if the employees is experiencing a poor posture the researcher had an assessment through

direct observation of the subject’s postures and workstation equipment in their

workstation by means of the RULA ergonomic tool. The result of this study would give

awareness to the non-teaching employees about the effects of sitting postures practices to

their health.

Statement of the Problem

This study aimed to assess the different postures practices and physical

discomfort encountered by some selected non-teaching employees in Eastern Visayas

State University, Tacloban City.

1. What are the postures being practiced by some selected non-teaching employees

in doing their work in Eastern Visayas State University, Tacloban City?

2. To what extent of physical discomforts were encountered by some selected non-

teaching employees in Eastern Visayas State University, Tacloban City?

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3. Is there a significant relationship between the postures being practiced and the

physical discomfort encountered by some selected non-teaching employees in

Eastern Visayas State University, Tacloban City?

4. What intervention scheme could be proposed based on the results of the study?

Research Hypothesis

There is a significant relationship between the postures being practiced and the

physical discomfort encountered by some selected non-teaching employees in Eastern

Visayas State University, Tacloban City.

Conceptual Framework of the Study

According to Grandjean et al. (1977), medical and ergonomic field studies

indicate that bad standing and sitting postures are sometimes accompanied by pains in

muscle and connective tissues of tendons, joint capsules and ligaments. There is evidence

that such pains can become the symptoms of chronic diseases attributed to rheumatic

disorders.

The figure 1.0 shown in the next page was the conceptual framework of the study,

as the main objective of the study was to eliminate the musculoskeletal disorders to the

non-teaching employees during their working period. Eliminating musculoskeletal

disorders was done through identifying the different posture practices and physical

discomforts being practiced by the non-teaching employees that cause pains in different

parts of their body and then analyzing these postures through the Rapid Upper Limb

Assessment, through this intervention schemes was made to eliminate musculoskeletal

disorders.
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Figure 1.0
Schematic Diagram on the Conceptual Framework of the Study

Significance of the Study

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The results of this study will be of great benefit to the following:

To the EVSU Administrators. This will provide the EVSU administrators with

some knowledge on the effects of MSDs and occupational hazards that they encounter

and how it can be reduced through awareness.

To the Non-Teaching Employees. This will provide the non-teaching employees

with some knowledge on the effects of MSDs and occupational hazards that they

encounter and how it can be reduced through awareness.

To the Students. This study may serve as a guide and reference for the students

undertaking the similar studies.

The Community. This study will help them informed about the importance of the

awareness of the different Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) and Occupational Health

problems that they may encounter during their working hours.

Future Researchers. This research will be of useful reference for the researchers

who would plan to make any related study precisely the standard underlying the Bachelor

of Science in Industrial Engineering program.

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

This study focused on the different postures practices and the physical

discomforts that the non-teaching employees which are from the Accounting Office,

Registrar Office and Human Resource Office who are experiencing prolonged sitting on

their working period. The researcher chosen these offices because they have different

weight of workloads that can affect the postures practices of the non-teaching employees
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and it may result to musculoskeletal disorders. This study involved a questionnaire which

will be answered by the non-teaching employees. The selection of the respondents is

limited only to the selected offices of non-teaching employees at Eastern Visayas State

University, Tacloban City.

Definition of Terms

To understand and clarify the terms used in the study, the following terms are

hereby defined operationally:

Discomforts. A painful feeling in part of the body when hurt or have been

uncomfortable for a long time.

Disorders. A disruption of normal physical or mental functions; a disease or

abnormal condition.

Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD). MSDs are injuries and injuries that affect the

human body’s movement or musculoskeletal system (i.e. muscles, tendons, ligaments,

nerves, discs, blood vessels, etc.)

Non-Teaching Employees. Is a category defined as anyone employed by a school

system who doesn’t serve as a classroom teacher. This includes an administrative staff,

human resource staff, registrar personnel and other offices in the university that are not

involved in teaching.

Occupational Health Problems. It refers to the health problems that occur at

work or the illness that a non-teaching employees get from doing his/her work in the

university. This includes neck pain, back pain, buttock pain and other pain in the body.
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Physical Discomforts. A painful feeling in part of the body when hurt or have

been uncomfortable for a long time.

Posture Practices. It refers to the usual position or the actual posture of body of

the non-teaching employees while doing their respective duties and responsibilities in the

university.

Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA). Is a survey method developed for use

in ergonomic investigations of workplaces where work related upper limb disorders are

reported. RULA is a screening tool that assesses biomechanical and postural loading on

the whole body with particular attention to the neck, trunk, and upper limbs.
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CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter presents the related literature and studies after the thorough and in-

depth search by the researcher.

Related Literature

Employers have a duty to provide safe working conditions and stress-free work

environment for all staff, which includes the provision of information and training for

employees about workplace posture and ergonomics. Poor posture at work is a major

cause of back pain, workplace stress, repetitive strain injury, resulting in lost time,

reduced productivity, poor employee health, low morale, and higher costs. Posture is a

static state, a position of the body or an attitude. Posture is arrested movement. By itself

it's a word which is often qualified, defensive, poor, bad, aggressive, and happy, and is

often used in related ways, with overtones of opinion towards something, sometimes with

a meaning of falsehood. What distinguishes it from position is the inclusion of a mental

ingredient, particularly mood or emotion so a posture is a position with attitude, so to

speak (The Physio Company, 2014).

According to the Tuckman, (2012), there are two kinds of muscle in the body,

each with their own function. The first kind, postural or 'slow twitch' muscle, is for

holding us in the 'correct' position; these muscles are short and in the deepest layers. The

other kind, movement or 'fast twitch' muscles, are for moving us, lie over several joints

and are closer to the surface than slow twitch muscles. We need both in varying degrees

to perform properly. Even postural muscles will not hold positions for any length of time
 9

if they are not used regularly, a good reason in itself for sedentary workers to take

exercise and understand alignment. Slow-twitch fibres determine endurance, whereas

quick-twitch fibres determine muscle power. The phrase 'muscle tone' in physiotherapy

refers to the amount of fibres in the muscle 'firing' at any one time. Even at rest, some

fibres are firing and the muscle is 'ready to go'. Only when a body is dead is there no

muscle tone. The amount of muscle tone in a posture is largely a function of the amount

of support being provided. At an extreme, a person lying on their back has a wide support

base, so minimum muscle tone. At the other extreme, a person standing on tiptoes on one

leg has a very narrow base and so needs maximum muscle tone in perfect alignment.

Providing education, advice and training about workplace posture is an integral

part of maximizing the investment in employees. Employers now have to invest huge

amounts of management time to comply with employment and health and safety legal

requirements. Many of these are designed to deal with negative circumstances that arise,

they are reactive; investing in prevention is an excellent way of minimizing management

time overheads.

In many businesses employees are the most expensive asset. It makes sense to

ensure that this asset can work most efficiently. Therefore something that is fundamental

to the individual is fundamental to the employer as well. Modern life is bad for posture

and the chances are that any new employee may have musculoskeletal problems. If this is

tackled at its roots, management time is saved; each employee be giving better value for

money, and the employer achieves an advantage over its competitors who fail to act in

this area. Enabling a positive approach to posture is a serious competitive advantage.

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According to Erick et al. (2015), musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) represent a

major occupational problem in working populations and their risk factors have been

extensively investigated in different occupations. MSD affects the body’s muscles, joints,

tendons, ligaments, nerves, bones and the localised blood circulation system. Most work-

related MSD develops over time and is caused either by work itself or by the employee’s

working environment. These disorders may range from discomfort, minor aches and

pains to more serious and even medical conditions requiring time off work and even

medical treatment. In more chronic cases, treatment and recovery are often unsatisfactory

with possible results of permanent disability and loss of employment. The pain and

physical disability brought about by MSD affects social functioning and mental health,

further diminishing the patient’s quality of life. MSD also represents a common health-

related reason for discontinuing work and for seeking health care.

According to Buckle et al. (2002), the nature of work-related musculoskeletal

disorders of the neck and upper limbs is reviewed using both scientific data and the

consensus view of experts, union bodies and government agencies across the European

Union. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders describe a wide range of inflammatory

and degenerative diseases and disorders. These conditions result in pain and functional

impairment and may affect, besides others, the neck, shoulders, elbows, forearms, wrists

and hands. They are work-related when the work activities and work conditions

significantly contribute to their development or exacerbation but are not necessarily the

sole determinant of causation. The classification and the need for standardised diagnostic

methods for assessment of neck and upper limb musculoskeletal disorders are reviewed.

These disorders are a significant problem within the European Union with respect to ill
 11

health, productivity and associated costs. The path mechanisms of musculoskeletal

disorders affecting tendons, ligaments, nerves, muscle, circulation and pain perception

are reviewed and conceptual models for the pathogenesis of musculoskeletal disorders

affecting the neck and upper limbs are presented. The epidemiological evidence on the

work-relatedness of these disorders is discussed. A relationship between the performance

of work and the occurrence of neck and upper limb musculoskeletal disorders is evident.

Intervention strategies in the workplace for the reduction of both exposure and effect

should focus upon factors within the work organisation as well as actively involving the

individual worker. The current knowledge is sufficient to enable informed decisions to be

made on future research needs and prevention strategies at the societal, organisational

and individual level.

According to Vieira et al. (2004), working postures are addressed in the

ergonomics research field and important variables to be considered for occupational

safety. Working posture can be defined as the orientation of body parts in a work area

while a worker performing a task. It is considered by the characteristics of the worker,

workstation and work process. The element of the work system such as dimensions,

position, and design of workstation must be suited with the physical of the workers so

that they can perform the task in safe working posture. Farmer workers were frequently

exposed to injury at work due to an incorrect working posture. Improper working posture

such as bending, twisting, overreaching, repetitive task and uncomfortable posture

contribute to MSDs.

According to Mani (2017), work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs)

have become a growing concern in today’s society due to their impact on insurance costs,
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productivity, and employee wellness. Computer workers are at risk of developing

WMSDs due to the nature of their work and their work environment. To reduce the

prevalence of WMSDs among computer workers, it is critical to promote awareness of

various risk factors associated with WMSDs and educate them on healthy work

behaviors. This chapter advocates ergonomics education as an evidence-based

educational intervention to prevent WMSDs among office computer workers.

Multiple risk factors make computer workers susceptible to WMSDs. Research

evidence favors the use of ergonomic interventions based on educational approaches due

to their positive impact on participants’ knowledge, behavior, and well-being.

Ergonomics education, combined with organizational support and employee motivation

to embrace adaptive work behaviors, appears to be a promising intervention to minimize

the impact of WMSDs among the ever growing computer work population.

Related Studies

Employees is an important factor of any kinds of organization because they

are directly related to the productivity of the system. Their ability, skills,

productivity and performance have a great importance towards the increased production.

There are some criteria which have a significant impact on the ability, skills,

productivity and performance of workers such as work environment, body posture of

worker, wages etc. Work posture is the position or attitude of the limbs or body at the

time of work. Work posture has a significant impact on workers’ efficiency and

performance. It directly affects the labor heath issues and their productivity. The work

posture is mainly three types, namely, easy posture, fatigue posture and rigid
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posture. Among them the easy posture is needed for the worker’s health as well as to

have a positive impact on labor productivity, performance and overall profitability of the

organization (Rahman, 2014).

According to Parisa et al. (2014), office workers spend a long period of time

behind a computer during working hours. The relation between the posture of sitting

during work with computer and neck pain is still debatable. Even though some

researchers claim a significant difference in head posture between patients with neck pain

and pain-free participants, the FHP (forward head posture) has not always been

associated with neck pain in literature.

According to Melek et al. (2015), Work-related musculoskeletal diseases

(WMSDs) have been observed commonly and an increase in the frequency of symptoms

through the years has been observed with the rapid development of computer

technologies and ever-increasing usage of computers. Office workers are forming a very

important part of the risk group for musculoskeletal system disorders as they are

spending long working hours in front of a computer. Long-term usage of computers,

working at a desk and sitting for a long time in a chair in workplaces are the main reasons

playing a role in the musculoskeletal system disorders of office workers.

According to Sjan-Mari et al. (2012) prolonged sitting has been associated with

musculoskeletal dysunction. For desk workers, workstation modifications frequently

address the work surface and chair. Chairs which can prevent abnormal strain of the

neuromuscular system may aid in preventing musculo-skeletal pain and discomfort.

Anecdotally, adjustability of the seat height and the seat pan depth to match the
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anthropometrics of the user is the most commonly recommended intervention. Within the

constraints of the current economic climate, employers demand evidence for the benefits

attributed to an investment in altering workstations, however this evidence-base is

currently unclear both in terms of the strength of the evidence and the nature of the chair

features.

According to Mann et al. (2018), Occupations that require employees to remain

seated for extended periods of time are continually becoming more pervasive in today’s

workforce. Those who perform office/desk work are sitting on average 8-12 hours/day

during work days, and 7-9.5 hours/day on days off. These trends are particularly

worrisome considering higher prevalence for conditions such as metabolic syndrome,

type 2 diabetes, obesity, deep vein thrombosis, and cardiovascular disease have been

linked with habitual sedentary behavior.

According to Rahman (2014), the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA)

designed by McAtamney et al. (1993), is a widely used tool designed for the

investigations of the work posture. RULA was developed specifically to examine the

level of risk workers. This tool is used to investigate working postures at one instant in

time. This instant is determined by using a coding system of RULA. RULA generates an

action list, which determines the level of intervention required to reduce the risk of

workplace injuries. The purpose of RULA is to provide a quick method for screening a

variety of workstations and to give results that can be explained the conditions of work

posture. The RULA checklist measures postures on a scoring system scale from one to

seven. If the score is 1 or 2 posture is acceptable and if the posture is greater

than 2 the posture is unacceptable. Higher score of RULA indicates the worst position
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of postures. The posture is the position in which body upright against gravity while

standing, sitting or lying down. Work posture is the position of the body or body parts

during work. Work posture has a significant impact on daily life activities and health

issues. There are effects of good posture and these are it helps the muscles in the body to

be unloaded and relaxed, improves respiratory and circulatory efficiency and prevents

unnecessary strain and fatigue. Here are the effects of poor posture and these are postural

defects, easy fatigability and high energy expenditure and pain, bad cosmetic appearance

and psychological disturbances.

This ergonomic technique evaluates individuals' exposures to work postures,

forces and muscle activities that have been shown to contribute to repetitive strain

injuries (RSIs). Use of this ergonomic evaluation approach results in a risk score

between one and seven, where higher scores signify greater levels of apparent risk. A

low RULA score does not guarantee that the workplace is free of ergonomic hazards, and

a high score does not assure that a severe problem exists. It was developed to detect

work postures or risk factors that deserve further attention.

A study was conducted Agrawal et al. (2011), on “Study and Validation of Body

Postures of Workers Working in Small Scale Industry through RULA”. This paper

focused the attention on the ergonomics consideration required to be governed in the

small scale industries, a specific case of tractor trolley manufacturing unit is

considered, which is deviating from all these aspects. Welding in this industry had been

done on kneeling posture as the fixture used for welding was placed on the ground.

Continuously worker has to sit on that posture and has to perform welding work. It

was observed that due to continuous kneeling posture worker got fatigued frequently and
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musculoskeletal problems were identified in them which were then validated by using

RULA.

According to the study of Ghosh et al. (2010), on “Work-related Musculoskeletal

Disorder: An Occupational Disorder of the Goldsmiths in India”. They discussed in their

paper about MSDs which had been reported in different occupations due to improper

body posture and work load. Poor designs of workstation were causes of improper

postures such as twisting, bending and over reaching. These postures increased the

discomfort and pain at different parts of the body such as back, neck and shoulders. By

providing proper work desk, the work condition could have been improved.

According to the study of Choobineh et al. (2007), on “Musculoskeletal problems

among workers of an Iranian communication company”. In this research work, Nordic

musculoskeletal questionnaire and RULA were used to find out the WRMDs and it

had been found that there was very high score of RULA. RULA score could be reduced

by designing ergonomic workstation and it might reduce the WRMDs among the

workers. RULA showed that the awkward working postures and static work had been

found to be the major risk factors that the workers encountered. Improper design and ill

arrangement of workstation were the causes of postural problems and could have been

cured by redesigning workstations based on ergonomics principles and would have

reduced the RULA Grand Score.

Work posture is as important for the performance of tasks as it is promoting

health and minimizing stress and discomfort during work. Various musculoskeletal

symptoms could be experienced by the workers performing their tasks in poor

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postures which were largely static and that these could be associated with long

term risks and injuries. These postures also had a bad impact on labor productivity and

performance

According to Mohammadipour et al. (2018), the design and maintenance of a

suitable work environment are one of the objectives of Ergonomics to improve the

worker’s performance, reduce stress and fatigue at work. Application of ergonomics is

very significant in the area where manual activities directly affect the physical and mental

health of the employee. In ergonomics, the posture and movement of a worker are

important information for determining the risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in

the workplace. MSDs have been common complaints among workers involved in static

work or tasks requiring the repetitive motion of the upper limbs and prolonged computer

work. Office workers are the one group which may impact on chronic musculoskeletal

health problems. Office work represents a complex physical work environment, with

interactions among the various dimensions of the workstation, equipment and job

content. Recent research reviews have confirmed the dose-response association between

the number of hours working at a computer workstation and the risk of MSDs which

include pain and other symptoms in the shoulder-neck, back and upper limbs particularly.
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CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the research design, respondents of the study, research

locale, research instrument, validation of the research instrument. It also presents the

methods of scoring that will be using and its corresponding interpretation and the

statistical treatment that will be used by the researcher in treating the data gathered.

Research Design

This study was a descriptive research it’s a purposive process of data gathering,

analyzing, classifying and tabulating data about prevailing conditions, practices,

processes, tools and cause-effect relationships and then the adequate and accurate

interpretation of such data with or without the aid of statistical treatment.

Respondents of the Study

The respondents of this study was the selected non-teaching employees in Eastern

Visayas State University, Tacloban City. The respondents of this study were from

Accounting Office, Registrar Office and Human Resource Office with 100 percent

participation.

Table 1.0
List of Respondents

Respondents No. of Respondents

Accounting Office 19
Registrar Office 10
Human Resource Office 8
Total 37
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Research Locale

The location of this study was located at Eastern Visayas State University,

Tacloban City. The researcher chosen this location to gathered information because the

university have different offices of non-teaching employees with different kinds of

workloads and working conditions.

Research Instrument

Research instruments were the tools used to collect data. It was accurate and

capable of supporting data analysis. The main instrument applied by the researcher was a

structured and validated survey questionnaire was used in collecting data on the

assessment of the different pains and symptoms experiencing by some selected non-

teaching employees. The researcher conducted brief interview and instructions regarding

on the questionnaires answered by each non-teaching employees.

The researcher used a survey questionnaire as a research instrument for this study

and the researcher gathered data in different resources to get information for this topic.

The survey questionnaire used for this study was designed to obtain information

and data needed to make an intervention scheme to eliminate the musculoskeletal

disorders. The questionnaire has consisted of three (3) parts. The first part was about

basic information about the respondents such as name, age, gender, department, position

and years in service. The second part was about the different postures practices

experiencing of non-teaching employees while doing their work. The last part was about

physical discomforts and the intensity of pains in the different parts of the body that can

cause of musculoskeletal disorders.

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Validation of Research Instrument

In order to test the validity of the survey questionnaire which had used for this

study, the researcher used a Nordic Body Map, it is a body map that can identify parts of

muscle or joint and this is used to identify complaints from the non-teaching employees.

The questionnaires had validated by the Research Adviser and Subject Instructor and

conducted a dry-run to the selected non-teaching employees in Eastern Visayas State

University, Tacloban City.

Data Gathering Procedure

The data gathering procedure commenced after the approval of the research title.

The researcher had started gathering sources of data, the literatures and studies. The

researcher prepared a validated questionnaire by the Research Adviser and Subject

Instructor that used in the interview the non-teaching employees, but before the interview

and observations in the different selected offices of non-teaching employees a

communication letter was given to the heads of selected offices of non-teaching

employees department in Eastern Visayas State University, Tacloban City. Then, the

questionnaire had distributed to the respondents which are the non-teaching employees.

The researcher had briefly interview the respondents individually and gave an instruction

on how to answer the questionnaire. Lastly, the answered questionnaire was collected and

tabulated by the researcher.

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Methods of Scoring and Interpretation of Data

Presented below were the designated scale and the corresponding interpretation of

the data that had gathered through the survey questionnaires:

Frequency of Posture Practices

Table 2.0
Scale for the Frequency of Practicing that Posture

Qualitative Description Scale Interpretation

Always 4.21 – 5.00 Strongly Practiced

Often 3.41 – 4.20 Practiced

Sometimes 2.61 – 3.40 Moderately Practiced

Seldom 1.81 – 2.60 Poorly Practiced

Never 1.00 – 1.80 Never Practiced

Intensity of Pain in relation to Physical Discomforts

In determining the extent of intensity of pain in relation to physical discomforts

experienced by the non-teaching employees, the following criteria below:

Table 3.0
Scale for the intensity of Pain and Discomfort

Qualitative Description Scale Interpretation

Intolerable 2.34 – 3.00 Great Extent of Pain

Tolerable 1.67 – 2.33 Moderately Extent of Pain

None 1.00 – 1.66 Lesser Extent of Pain

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Statistical Treatment

In interpreting the data effectively, the researcher employed the following

statistical treatment:

Percentage

This was used to determine the frequency counts and percentage distribution of

the personal-related physical discomforts and frequency on practicing a certain posture.

f
Formula: %= ∗100
N

Where,

% = Percentage

f = frequency

N = Total Number of Respondents

100 is a constant value

Average Weighted Mean

This was used to determine the extent of pain from the different postures practices

of the respondents.

Formula: X=
∑x
n

Where,

X = weighted mean
 23

∑ x = Summation of the weight of an item

X = weight of an item

n = number of samples

Pearson Product Moment of Correlation Coefficient

This was used to know if there is a significant relationship between the variables

with 0.05 level of acceptance. This measures the strength of the linear relationship

between the two variables.

Formula:

r =N ∑ xy −¿ ¿ ¿

where:

N = number of pairs of scores

∑ xy = sum of the products of

paired scores

∑ x = sum of x scores
∑ y = sum of y scores
∑ x2 = sum of the squared x

scores

∑ y 2= sum of squared y scores

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CHAPTER IV

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

This chapter presents the data gathered and interprets the results of the statistical

analysis done and interpretation of findings.

Survey questionnaires were given to the selected non-teaching employees in

Eastern Visayas State University and a total of 37 survey questionnaires were returned

and completed. Data gathered from the survey questionnaires was tailed by the researcher

and the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) was used by the researcher for the

posture analysis.

Posture Practices

For the posture practices, the researcher asks the respondents about the prevalence

of different postures practices they usually do. The table below shows the data gathered:

Table 4.0
Interpreted Results of Average Weighted Mean for Posture Practices

Posture Weighted Mean Interpretation

1. Slouched sitting. Moderately
3.19
Practiced
2. Forward head posture. Moderately
3.27
Practiced
3. Sitting at attention. Moderately
3.11
Practiced
4. Sitting only half part of buttocks on the Moderately
2.22
chair. Practiced
5. Keeping feet flat on the floor. Moderately
3.32
Practiced
6. Crossing the knees while sitting. Poorly
2.19
Practiced
7. Positioning the knees at the same height of Moderately
3.38
the hips. Practiced
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8. Placing one foot above the knee. Poorly

2.46
Practiced
9. Keeping the forearms and knees parallel Moderately
3.03
on the floor. Practiced
10. Holding elbows at the sides creating an L- Moderately
2.97
shape in the arms. Practiced
11. Sitting up straight and looking forward Moderately
3.16
without straining the neck. Practiced
12. Keeping the back of the body against the Moderately
3.35
chair. Practiced
13. Resting the feet in the foot rest. 3.51 Practiced
14. Sliding forward on the seat. Poorly
2.51
Practiced
15. Crossing the ankles while sitting. Moderately
3.08
Practiced
16. Positioning the knees slightly lower than Moderately
3.0
the hips. Practiced
17. Using another chair to rest the feet. Poorly
2.05
Practiced
18. Placing the feet behind the hips while Poorly
1.86
sitting. Practiced
19. Crossing the legs while sitting. Poorly
1.84
Practiced
20. Sitting while the one leg is place above the
1.78 Never Practiced
chair and the other leg is resting the floor.
Moderately
TOTAL 2.76
Practiced

With the computations using the weighted mean, majority of the non-teaching

employees responded that they have experienced moderately practices in the postures of

slouched sitting with a mean of (3.19), forward head posture with a mean of (3.27),

sitting at attention with a mean of (3.11), keeping feet flat on the floor with mean a mean

of (3.32), positioning the knees at the same height of the hips with mean a mean of

(3.38), keeping the forearms and knees parallel to the floor with mean a mean of (3.03),

holding elbows at the sides creating an L-shaped in the arms with mean a mean of (2.97),

sitting up straight and looking forward without straining the neck with mean a mean of
 26

(3.16), keeping back of the body on the chair with mean a mean of (3.35), crossing the

ankles while sitting with mean a mean of (3.08), and positioning the knees slightly lower

than the hips with mean a mean of (3.0). The non-teaching employees also responded that

they have practiced resting the feet in the foot rest with mean a mean of (3.51). The non-

teaching employees also responded that they have poorly practiced in the postures of

sitting only half part of the buttocks on the chair with mean a mean of (2.22), crossing the

knees while sitting, placing one foot above the knee with mean a mean of (2.46), sliding

forward on the seat with mean a mean of (2.51), using another chair to rest the feet with

mean a mean of (2.05), placing the feet behind the hips while sitting with mean a mean of

(1.86) and crossing the legs while sitting with mean a mean of (1.84). The non-teaching

employees responded that they never practiced the posture sitting while the one leg is

place above the chair and the other leg is resting at the floor with mean a mean of (1.78).

However none of the non-teaching employees responded that they have strongly

practiced among all the posture practices cited by the researcher.

The results of posture practices that non-teaching employees experienced based

on the computation of the overall weighted mean which is (2.76) and was interpreted as

moderately practiced.

Physical Discomforts

In the table below represents the prevalence of intensity of musculoskeletal pains

related to the different posture practices based on the data gathered during the survey

among the non-teaching employees.

 27

Table 5.0
Interpreted Results of Average Weighted Mean for Physical Discomforts

Part of the Body Weighted Mean Interpretation

1. Pain in the upper neck 1.86 Moderately Extent of Pain
2. Pain in the lower neck 2.03 Moderately Extent of Pain
3. Pain in the back 2.16 Moderately Extent of Pain
4. Pain in the waist 1.78 Moderately Extent of Pain
5. Pain in the buttock 1.76 Moderately Extent of Pain
6. Pain in the bottom 1.95 Moderately Extent of Pain
7. Pain in the left shoulder 1.95 Moderately Extent of Pain
8. Pain in the right shoulder 2.01 Moderately Extent of Pain
9. Pain in the left upper arm 1.51 Lesser Extent of Pain
10. Pain in the right upper arm 2.24 Moderately Extent of Pain
11. Pain in the left elbow 1.51 Lesser Extent of Pain
12. Pain in the right elbow 1.62 Lesser Extent of Pain
13. Pain in the left lower arm 1.51 Lesser Extent of Pain
14. Pain in the right lower arm 1.65 Lesser Extent of Pain
15. Pain in the left wrist 1.76 Moderately Extent of Pain
16. Pain in the right wrist 2.24 Moderately Extent of Pain
17. Pain in the left hand 1.95 Moderately Extent of Pain
18. Pain in the right hand 2.01 Moderately Extent of Pain
19. Pain in the left thigh 1.24 Lesser Extent of Pain
20. Pain in the right thigh 1.27 Lesser Extent of Pain
21. Pain in the left knee 1.73 Moderately Extent of Pain
22. Pain in the right knee 1.73 Moderately Extent of Pain
23. Pain in the left calf 1.22 Lesser Extent of Pain
24. Pain in the right calf 1.22 Lesser Extent of Pain
25. Pain in the left ankle 1.19 Lesser Extent of Pain
26. Pain in the right ankle 1.19 Lesser Extent of Pain
27. Pain in the left foot 1.38 Lesser Extent of Pain
28. Pain in the right foot 1.38 Lesser Extent of Pain
TOTAL 1.69 Moderately Extent of Pain

With the computations using the weighted mean, majority of the non-teaching

employees responded that they have experienced moderately extent of pain in the

different parts of their body particular in upper neck with a mean of (1.86), lower neck

with a mean of (2.03), back with a mean of (2.16), waist with a mean of (1.78), buttock

with a mean of (1.76), bottom with a mean of (1.95), left shoulder with a mean of (1.95),
 28

right shoulder with a mean of (2.01), right upper arm (2.24), left wrist with a mean of

(1.76), right wrist with a mean of (2.24), left hand with a mean of (1.95), right hand with

a mean of (2.01), left knee with a mean of (1.73) and right knee with a mean of (1.73).

The respondents also respond that they experienced poor extent of pain in the different

parts of their body particularly in left upper arm with a mean of (1.51), left elbow with a

mean of (1.51), right elbow with a mean of (1.62), left lower arm with a mean of (1.51),

right upper arm with a mean of (2.24), left thigh with a mean of (1.24), right thigh with a

mean of (1.27), left calf with a mean of (1.22), right calf with a mean of (1.22), left ankle

with a mean of (1.19), right ankle with a mean of (1.19), left foot with a mean of (1.38)

and right foot with a mean of (1.38). However none of the non-teaching employees

responded that they have experienced great extent of pain in the different parts of their

body.

The results of physical discomforts that non-teaching employees experienced

based on the computation of the overall weighted mean which is (1.69) and was

interpreted as moderately extent of pain.

Relationship between the Postures Practices and the Physical Discomforts

The table below presents the correlation coefficient, significant value and

interpreted between the postures practices and physical discomforts of selected non-

teaching employees in Eastern Visayas State University.

Table 6.0
Correlation Table

Correlation
Variables P-value Interpretation
Coefficient
 29

Postures Practices
and Physical 0.30 0.06 Not significant
Discomforts

As shown in the table above, the results shows that the postures practices has no

significant relationship to the physical discomforts of selected non-teaching employees in

Eastern Visayas State University. Therefore, the research hypothesis should be rejected.

Work Posture Analysis

Aside from using a survey questionnaire to determine the relationship of the

postures being practiced and the physical discomforts encountered by some selected non-

teaching employees. The researcher also used an ergonomic tool to evaluate the work

posture of the non-teaching employees.

The researcher took some pictures during the observation on the selected non-

teaching offices in Eastern Visayas State University, Tacloban City. The pictures taken

will be used to evaluate and analyzed to fill the scores of RULA work sheets.

Observations was done only on one non-teaching employee since non-teaching

employees posture practices is the same while performing their different task at work.

Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA)

The pictures in figure 2.0 was chosen by the researcher to evaluate the work

posture of the selected non-teaching employee because the occurrence of this work

posture was happened most of time in the work of the non-teaching employees and it

have high repetitive of actions.

 30

Based on the results of the RULA Assessment which is 6 it means that the person

in the pictures was working in a poor posture with a risk of injury from their work, and it

is needed to investigate and changed soon to prevent injury and the occurrence of

musculoskeletal disorders. (See Appendix D for the RULA Tabulated Work Assessment)
 31

Figure 2.0
Working Posture of Non-Teaching Employees
32
 33

CHAPTER V

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter presents the summary of findings, conclusions and recommendations

based on the data gathered.

Summary

The main objective of this study was to assess the different postures practices and

physical discomfort encountered by some selected non-teaching employees in Eastern

Visayas State University, Tacloban City.

1. What are the postures being practiced by some selected non-teaching employees

in doing their work in Eastern Visayas State University, Tacloban City?

2. To what extent of physical discomforts were encountered by some selected non-

teaching employees in Eastern Visayas State University, Tacloban City?

3. Is there a significant relationship between the postures being practiced and the

physical discomfort encountered by some selected non-teaching employees in

Eastern Visayas State University, Tacloban City?

4. What intervention scheme could be proposed based on the results of the study?

This descriptive research seeks to describe the current status of the variables. The

researcher used a survey questionnaires to come up with the results if there was a

significant relationship between the postures practices and physical discomforts. For the

validity, consultation was made with the research adviser and the items that had been

found vague was deleted and clarified in order to polish the survey questionnaire.
 34

The subject considered for this study were the Accounting Office, Registrar

Office and Human Resource Office. There were a total of thirty seven (37) non-teaching

employees able to respond.

The researcher analyzed the data through the use of statistical tools which

includes percentage, average weighted mean, and Pearson product moment of correlation

coefficient in order to assess the relationship of the different postures practices and

physical discomfort encountered by some selected non-teaching employees in Eastern

Visayas State University, Tacloban City.

Findings

Based on the data gathered by the researcher from the selected non-teaching

employees in Eastern Visayas State University. The following are the summary of

findings:

1. Based on the gathered information, the non-teaching employees responded that

the different postures practices they moderately practiced are slouched sitting with

a mean of (3.19), forward head posture with a mean of (3.27), sitting at attention

with a mean of (3.11), keeping feet flat on the floor with mean a mean of (3.32),

positioning the knees at the same height of the hips with mean a mean of (3.38),

keeping the forearms and knees parallel to the floor with mean a mean of (3.03),

holding elbows at the sides creating an L-shaped in the arms with mean a mean of

(2.97), sitting up straight and looking forward without straining the neck with

mean a mean of (3.16), keeping back of the body on the chair with mean a mean
 35

of (3.35), crossing the ankles while sitting with mean a mean of (3.08), and

positioning the knees slightly lower than the hips with mean a mean of (3.0).

2. Based on the gathered information, the non-teaching employees responded that

they experienced a moderately extent of pain in the different parts of their body

particular in upper neck with a mean of (1.86), lower neck with a mean of (2.03),

back with a mean of (2.16), waist with a mean of (1.78), buttock with a mean of

(1.76), bottom with a mean of (1.95), left shoulder with a mean of (1.95), right

shoulder with a mean of (2.01), right upper arm (2.24), left wrist with a mean of

(1.76), right wrist with a mean of (2.24), left hand with a mean of (1.95), right

hand with a mean of (2.01), left knee with a mean of (1.73) and right knee with a

mean of (1.73).

3. Based on the work posture analysis, using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment

which a total score of six (6) and this means that the person who evaluated

through Rapid Upper Limb Assessment is working in a poor posture with a risk of

injury from their work posture, and the reason for this is need to be investigated

and changed in the future to prevent the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders.

4. As a result on the computed correlation coefficient at 0.05 level of significance.

The research hypothesis were being rejected.

Conclusions

1. Based on the findings, most of the non-teaching employees are moderately

practicing the poor work postures while doing their work. However, they also

moderately practice good work postures especially the sitting at attention,

positioning the knees at the same height of the hips, keeping the back of the body
 36

against the chair, crossing the knees while sitting and resting the feet in the foot

rest.

2. Based on the findings, the extent of pain wherein the non-teaching employees

been experienced is moderately extent of pain in the different parts of their body

particularly in the upper neck, lower neck, back, waist, buttock, bottom, left

shoulder, right shoulder, right upper arm, left wrist, right wrist, left hand, right

hand, left knee and right knee.

3. The Rapid Upper Limb Assessment posture analysis indicates that the workstation

of the non-teaching employees needed to evaluate and immediate implementation

of corrective measures is needed to minimize the occurrence of musculoskeletal

disorder.

4. Therefore, there is no significant relationship between the postures being

practiced and the physical discomforts encountered by some selected non-

teaching employees in Eastern Visayas State University, Tacloban City.

Recommendations

The following are interventions schemes that are recommended by the researcher

to address the need to eliminate musculoskeletal disorders incurred by the non-teaching

employees:

1. Repetition of work in the job of non-teaching employees could not be avoided but

it could be minimized by having an intra-work pauses and a break after a period

of continuous work to decrease the frequency and intensity of pain incurred in

different body region especially in the back, arms and hands.

 37

2. In minimizing the effects of poor work postures the workstation of each

employees must be ergonomically design and the give awareness to the non-

teaching employees the effect of good and poor postures in their work. (See annex

A for sample of ergonomically workstation design).

3. Workstation is has a big impact to the non-teaching employees to perform the

proper work postures and providing an ergonomically design chair is helpful to

the non-teaching employees to execute properly the work postures and it

minimize the pain in their back. (See annex B for the sample of ergonomically

design chair.)

4. Most of the non-teaching employees spend most of their time typing in the

keyboard and clicking the mouse. It is important that each employees must have a

mouse palm rest pad and keyboard wrist pad to minimize the pain in the hand and

wrist of the non-teaching employees. (See annex C for the sample of mouse palm

rest pad and keyboard wrists pad)

5. The workstation of the non-teaching employees must be adequate enough to store

the different files and documents they compiled everyday. The positioning of the

keyboard and mouse must be near to the user to minimize the unnecessary effort

and stretch of arms and shoulders in doing their different tasks. (See annex D for

the sample of working table design arrangement)

 38

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Agrawal D., Madankar T., & Jibhakate M. (2011). Study and Validation of Body
Postures of Workers Working in Small Scale Industry through RULA. International
Journal of Engineering Science and Technology Vol. 3 No. 10

Andersson A. (1981). Epidemiologic Aspects on Low-Back Pain in Industry. Spine

(pp.53 – 60).

Buckle P. & Devereux J. (2002). The nature of work-related neck and upper limb
musculoskeletal disorders Peter W. Buckle*, J. Jason Devereux. Applied
Ergonomics.

Choobineh B. Alireza D. (2007). Musculoskeletal Problems among Workers of an Iranian

Communication Company. Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental
Medicine Vol. 11 Issue No. 7

Crawford J., Laiou E., Spurgeon A. & Mcmillan G. (2008). The Prevention Of
Musculoskeltal Disorders Within The Telecommunications Sectors: A Systematic
Review Of Scientific Literature. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics
38(1), 57-72.

Erick P. & Smith D. (2015). Musculoskeletal Disorders In The Teaching Profession: An

Emerging Workplace Hazard With Significant Repercussions For Developing
Countries. Industrial Health.

Ghosh K. & Tirthankar D. (2010). Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorder of the

Goldsmiths in India. Indian Journal of Community Medicine Vol. 35 Issue No. 2

Grandjean E. & Hunting J. (1977). Ergonomics of Posture – Review of Various Problems

of Standing and Sitting Posture.

Mani K. (2017). Ergonomics Education for Office Computer Workers: An Evidence

Based Strategy.

Mann S., Hamad A., and Kumbhare D. (2018). The Problem of Sedentary Behaviour in
the Office Workspace: A Structured Exercise Program for Primary Prevention.
Journal of Novel Physiotherapies.

Melek A. & Simsek H. (2015). Analyzing musculoskeletal system discomforts and risk
factors in computer-using office workers. Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences

Mohammadipour F., Pourranjbar M. & Rafie F. (2018). Work-related Musculoskeletal

Disorders in Iranian Office Workers: Prevalence and Risk Factors
 39

Parisa N., Lotan S., & Nejati M. (2014). The Relationship of Forward Head Posture and
Rounded Shoulders with Neck Pain in Iranian Office Workers.

Patience E. & Smith D (2015). The Prevalence and Risk Factors for Musculoskeletal
Disorders among School Teachers in Botswana. Occupational Medicine and Health
Affairs.

Punnett L. & Wegman D. (2004). Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders: The

epidemiologic evidence and the debate

Rahman C. (2014). Study and Analysis of Work Postures of Workers Working in a

Ceramic Industry Through Rapid Upper Limb Assessment. International Journal of
Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Sjan-Mari V., Niekerk, Q. Abigail L., and Susan H. (2012). The effectiveness of a chair
intervention in the workplace to reduce musculoskeletal symptoms. A systematic
review.

The Physio Company (2014). Postures and Ergonomics for Workstations and Computers,
for Back-pain remedy and Repetitive Strain Injury and Workplace Stress Reduction.
Posture and Workstation Ergonomics

Tuckman J. (2012). Bad Computer Posture Mistakes You’re Probably Making.

Ergonomics Trends

Vieira E. & Kumar S. (2004) Working Postures: A Literature Review. Journal of

Occupational Rehabilitation, Volume 14, No. 2.

Waongenngarm P., Rajaratnam B., & Janwantanakul P. (2015). Internal Oblique and
Transversus Abdominis Muscle Fatigue Induced by Slumped Sitting Posture after 1
Hour of Sitting in Office Workers. Safe and Healthy at Work.

Westgaard R. (2000). Work-related Musculoskeletal complaints: Some ergonomic

challenges upon the start of a new century. Applied Ergonomics 31: 569 – 580.
 40

ANNEXES

Annex A. Sample of Ergonomically Workstation Design

 41

Annex B. Sample of Ergonomically Design Chair

 42

Annex C. Sample of Mouse Palm Rest Pad and Keyboard Wrists Pad
 43

Annex D. Sample of Working Table Design Arrangement

 44

Annex E. RULA Employee Work Assessment Worksheet

 45

APPENDICES

Appendix A. Communication Letter

 46

Appendix B. Survey Questionnaire

Republic of the Philippines

EASTERN VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Tacloban City
-oOo-
College of Engineering

INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE
Dear Respondents,

The researcher is conducting an Undergraduate Research entitled “Ergonomic

Evaluation of Posture - Related Discomforts and Occupational Health Problems of Selected
Non-Teaching Employees in Eastern Visayas State University, Tacloban City’’. The study aims
to evaluate the different common postures and the physical discomforts encountered by the non-
teaching employees.

Moreover, the undersigned would like to ask for your spare time to fill in the blanks that
are provided below and to answer the questions with all honesty. Rest assured that the
information gathered will be treated with confidentiality. Your positive response is a great help in
the success of the endeavor.

Thank You and God Bless!

Respectfully Yours,
KEIZEL KENNY Q. LUMAGOD
BSIE – 5A
________________________________________________________________________
Instruction: Please fill in the blanks below and check ( √ ) the box that best corresponds to your
answer.

PART I. Non-Teaching Employee Profile

Name (Optional): _______________________________________________________________

Office Department: ______________________________________________________________

Age: ________ Years in Service: _________________

 47

Gender: Male Female

Marital Status: Single Married Widowed Others: __________

PART II. How often do you practice the different sitting postures given below? Please put a
check if it is Never, Seldom, Sometimes, Often and Always.

Sometime Often Always

Never Seldom
NO. POSTURES s (4) (5)
(1) (2)
(3)
1 Slouched sitting.
2 Forward head posture.
3 Sitting at Attention.
Sitting only haft part of the
4
buttocks on the chair.
Keeping feet flat on the
5
floor.
Crossing the knees while
6
sitting.
Positioning the knees at
7 the same height of the
hips.
Placing the feet above the
8
knee.
Keeping the forearms and
9
knees parallel to the floor.
Holding elbows at the
10 sides creating an L-shape
in the arms.
Sitting up straight and
11 looking forward without
straining the neck.
Keeping the back of the
12
body against the chair.
Resting the feet in the foot
13
rest
14 Sliding forward on the
 48

seat.
Crossing the ankles while
15
sitting.
Positioning the knees
16 slightly lower than the
hips.
Using another chair to rest
17
the feet.
Placing the feet behind the
18
hips while sitting.
Crossing the legs while
19
sitting.
Sitting while the one leg is
place above the chair and
20
the other leg is resting at
the floor.

PART III. Kindly put a check to the corresponding intensity of pain you have experienced to the

different parts of your body.

DISCOMFORTS
(Intensity of Pain)
BODY PART POSTURE LOCATION
None Tolerable Intolerable
(1) (2) (3)
Pain in the upper
- Bent or neck      
HEAD/NECK Twisted Pain in the lower
neck      
Pain in the back      
- Straight, Bent Pain in the waist
BACK and Twisted Pain in the buttock
Pain in the bottom      
ARMS/HAND - Both arms Pain in the left
S below shoulder shoulder
level Pain in the right
- One arm at or shoulder
above shoulder Pain in the left upper
level arm
 49

Pain in the left

elbow      
Pain in the right
elbow      
Pain in the left lower
arm      
Pain in the right
- Both arms at or lower arm      
above shoulder Pain in the left wrist      
level Pain in the right
wrist      
Pain in the left hand      
Pain in the right
hand      
Pain in the left thigh      
Pain in the right
- Sitting thigh      
- Standing/squat Pain in the left knee      
ting on two Pain in the right
bent legs knee      
LEGS - Standing/squat Pain in the left calf      
ting on one Pain in the right calf      
bent leg Pain in the left ankle      
Pain in the right
ankle      
Pain in the left foot      
Pain in the right foot      

Appendix C. Actual Survey Raw Data

Marital Years in
Respondents Office Department Gender
Status Service
1 Accounting Office Female Married 3 Years
2 Accounting Office Female Married 4 Years
3 Accounting Office Female Married 4 Years
4 Accounting Office Female Married 3 Years
5 Accounting Office Female Married 5 Years
6 Accounting Office Female Married 7 Years
7 Accounting Office Female Single 2 Years
8 Accounting Office Female Single 1 Year
 50

9 Accounting Office Female Single 1 Year

10 Accounting Office Female Single 1.5 Years
11 Accounting Office Female Single 2 Years
12 Accounting Office Female Single 2 Years
13 Accounting Office Female Single 1 Year
14 Accounting Office Female Single 2 Years
15 Accounting Office Female Single 1.5 Years
16 Accounting Office Female Single 2 Years
17 Accounting Office Male Single 2 Years
18 P1 P2 P3 P4 Accounting
P5 P6 P7 OfficeP8 P9 P10 P11 P12 P13Male
P14 P15 P16Married
P17 P18 4 Years
P19 P20
119 Accounting
4 4 2 3 4 1 2 3 3 2 2 Office 3 Male
3 4 4 Married
3 4 2 1 53Years2.85
220 5 2 Human4 3Resource5 1 Management
1 1 3 4Office 4 4 1Female
3 2 5Married
3 1 1 1.51 Years2.70
321 Human Resource
5 2 4 3 5 1 1 1 3 4 4 Management Office 4 Female
1 3 2 Married
5 3 1 1 1Years2.70
5
22 Human Resource Management Office Female Married 10 Years
4 4 4 3 2 4 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 4 3 4 2 2 3 3 3 3.05
23 Human Resource Management Office Male Married 21 Years
5 4 4 2 3 2 4 2 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 3.00
24 Human Resource Management Office Female Widowed 3 Years
625 2 2 Human3 1Resource2 1 Management
5 3 3 3Office 4 2 5 Male
2 4 3 Single
3 1 1 32Years2.60
726 2 2 Human3 1Resource2 1 Management
5 3 3 3Office 3 2 5Female
2 4 1 Single
2 2 3 5 Months
3 2.60
827 2 2 Human3 1Resource2 1 Management
5 3 3 3Office 3 2 5 Male
1 4 1 Single
2 2 2 33Years2.50
928 4 3 3 4 5Registrar 1 5 Office 3 4 2 3 3 3 Male
1 2 2Married
1 2 1 52Years2.70
1029 Registrar
4 5 4 1 1 3 3 2 3 3 2 Office 4 Male
4 4 4 Married
4 3 3 3 182 Years3.10
1130 2 5 4 1 3Registrar 3 2 Office 3 3 3 3 4 4 Male
4 4 4Married
3 3 3 71Years3.10
1231 Registrar
4 5 4 1 4 2 4 3 3 4 4 Office 4 Male
4 2 2 Married
2 2 2 1 51Years2.90
1332 1 4 4 1 4Registrar 1 4 Office 2 5 5 5 5 5Female
4 4 4Married
2 1 1 82Years3.20
33 Registrar Office Female Married 4 Years
14 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 3 5 3 3 5 5 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 3.30
34 Registrar Office Female Married 5 Years
15 4 3 3 4 5 1 5 3 4 2 3 3 3 1 2 2 1 2 1 2 2.70
35 Registrar Office Male Single 11 Months
1636 3 3 3 3 3Registrar 3 5 Office 3 5 3 3 5 5Female
3 3 3 Single
3 3 3 8 Months
1 3.30
1737 3 3 3 1 2Registrar 3 5 Office 3 3 3 3 4 3 Male
2 5 2Married
2 2 3 53Years2.90
18 3 3 3 3 4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4 4 3 4 3 2 2 1 1 2.60
19 4 4 2 2 3 3 4 3 3 3 4 4 4 1 4 3 2 1 1 2 2.85
20 3 3 3 2 4 4 3 3 3 4 3 4 4 2 3 4 2 2 1 1 2.90
21 3 3 3 2 3 2 3 2 2 2 2 4 3 3 3 3 1 1 1 1 2.35
22 4 4 3 2 3 2 4 4 3 3 4 4 5 2 4 4 4 2 3 2 3.30
23 4 4 4 2 3 2 5 3 3 4 3 3 4 4 2 2 1 1 2 2 2.90
24 3 4 4 2 3 2 5 3 2 4 2 3 4 4 3 2 1 1 3 1 2.80
25 2 3 4 1 5 3 1 1 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 1 1 3 1 2.55
26 3 4 3 3 4 4 2 4 3 3 3 4 4 2 4 3 1 2 2 1 2.95
27 1 1 5 1 5 1 4 1 3 3 3 5 2 2 2 4 1 1 1 1 2.35
28 3 4 3 3 2 3 4 1 3 4 4 2 3 4 3 4 1 2 3 1 2.85
29 3 4 4 2 4 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 2 2 5 4 2 3 1 1 2.90
30 4 4 2 3 3 3 2 2 2 3 2 3 3 2 1 3 1 2 3 3 2.55
31 3 3 2 4 4 2 2 2 2 3 4 4 2 4 3 3 3 1 1 2 2.70
32 3 2 3 3 3 1 2 1 4 1 4 2 3 1 1 3 1 3 1 1 2.15
33 4 4 3 2 4 1 3 3 3 3 2 3 4 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 2.45
34 4 4 3 4 3 2 3 1 2 3 4 2 2 3 3 4 2 1 1 3 2.70
35 2 1 1 1 3 3 4 2 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 3 2 3 1 1 1.90
36 2 2 3 1 2 1 5 3 3 3 3 2 5 2 4 1 2 2 3 3 2.60
37 4 4 2 3 2 4 4 3 3 3 3 4 4 2 1 3 2 1 1 2 2.75
Ave. Mean 3.19 3.27 3.11 2.22 3.32 2.19 3.38 2.46 3.03 2.97 3.16 3.35 3.51 2.51 3.08 3.00 2.05 1.86 1.84 1.78
 PHYSICAL DISCOMFORTS
51

Appendix D. RULA Tabulated Work Assessment

Task Variable Needed

Position Description/Adjustment Total Score

Section A
Add 1: The arm is in normal position.

Upper Arm Add 1: If the shoulder is raised.

5
Position Add 2: The arm movement is between 20° to 60°.

Add 3: the arm movement is more than 45-90°.

Add 1: The normal position of the arm during

operation.
Lower Arm
Add 1: The arm is working across the midline of the 3
Position
body.

Add 1: The arm is out to side of the body.

Add 1:The wrist is normal position.

Wrist Position Add 2: The wrist is at 15°. 3

Add 3: The wrist is bend more than 45°.

Add 1: The wrist is twist in the mid-range <70°.
Wrist Twist 1
Add 1: The wrist is twist more than 70°.
Muscle Use and Add 0: The action didn’t repeat 4x per minute.
1
Load / Force Add 1: If action occurs 4x.
Section B
Neck Add 2: The neck is at 10-20°. 2
Trunk Position Add 2: The trunk is at 20-40°. 2
Leg Score Add 1: The legs and feet are supported and balanced. 1
 52

Total score of Section A is 7 because the value of upper arm is 5, lower arm is 3,

wrist score is 3 and value of wrist twist is 1. This is based on the Table A of RULA

Worksheet shown in figure below:

Score Value of Table A in RULA Worksheet

Total score of Section B is 2 because the value of neck posture is 2, trunk posture

is 2 and the value of legs posture is 1. This is based on the Table B of RULA Worksheet

shown in figure in the next page.

Score Value of Table B in RULA Worksheet

 53

From the results of Table A which is 7 and the results in Table B is 2. The

researcher get the value or score of RULA which is 6 which means further investigation

and change soon.

Score Value of Table C in RULA Worksheet

Arm & Wrist Neck, Trunk, And Legs

2
1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

2 1 2 3 3 5 5 5

3 2 2 3 4 4 5 5

4 3 3 3 4 5 6 6

5 4 4 4 5 6 7 7

6 4 4 5 6 6 7 7
7 6
7 6 6 6 6 7 7 7

8 6 6 6 7 7 7 7

RULA SCORE 6
(Investigate further and change
 54

soon)

Based on the results of the RULA Assessment which is 6 it means that the person

in the pictures was working in a poor posture with a risk of injury from their work, and it

is needed to investigate and changed soon to prevent injury and the occurrence of

musculoskeletal disorders.