A Quantitative Assessment of Job Rotation for the Upper Extremity

Job rotation has been commonly implemented as an administrative control for ergonomic stress in many manufacturing companies. Yet, limited research has investigated the effectiveness of balancing the ergonomic risk and potential musculoskeletal disorders. This study aimed to determine whether upper extremity risk estimates were related to wrist and elbow discomfort for jobs within job rotation schemes. The DUET (Distal Upper Extremity Tool) ergonomic assessment tool was utilized to quantify the distal upper extremity risk. Nineteen manufacturing workers who worked in four-job rotation schemes were evaluated for upper extremity risk and discomfort. The risk was higher for the entire job rotation scheme than for most of the individual jobs, with wrist discomfort being impacted to a limited extent, as most ratings were mild. Thus, ergonomic redesign may be more effective in reducing the potential for a musculoskeletal disorder than job rotation.