Whole-body assessment tool for musculoskeletal disorders risk factors among road construction workers

In a bid to improve the health and well-being of road construction workers potentially exposed to the risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD), there is a compelling narrative to have a concise assessment tool for the entire-body MSD Assessment. Most existing assessment tools are deficient in critical exposure factors for MSD assessment. This study reviews existing MSD assessment methods and tools towards the development of a concise and comprehensive novel tool. The existing tools each present a unique perspective on MSD assessment e.g. Ovako Working Posture Analysing System (OWAS), Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA), Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA), Quick Exposure Check (QEC) and Posture Activity Tools and Handling (PATH). However, the Quick Exposure Check was selected due to its unique features and strength, with a proposal for its extension to accommodate the lower body for a whole-body assessment and a further merger with the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ Body Map). This critical review proposes an enhanced merger of these two tools to create a more robust and comprehensive whole-body assessment tool. This paper contributes to advancing the health and well-being of road construction workers by proposing a holistic framework for entire-body MSD assessment.