Ergonomic evaluation of welders posture and biomechanical analysis of loads on spine by CATIA software in Iran Gas Transmission Company

Nowadays, observational methods based on video recording of work processes and its analysis by using computers software are widely used. Therefore, the aim of this study is the assessment of welder’s posture and its biomechanical analysis by using CATIA software.
This research has been done on welders Iranian Gas Transmission Company. Evaluated postures, which include three postures were determined from photos and videos, which were recorded during the welding process. After determining the target postures, digital modeling of person posture was simulated in CATIA software. Then assessments using RULA method and biomechanical analysis of forces to human digital modeling were done.
The analytical results are directly extracted by CATIA software. The final score of three postures evaluated using RULA method indicated that for two postures, we need immediate corrective action and for one posture, the corrective action should be taken in near future. Also, biomechanical analysis of forces in one of those postures revealed excessive force higher than recommended limit by NIOSH.
The results of this study show that we can provide a better assessment of workers conditions in workplaces using CATIA software. Analyzing according to RULA methods is a significant measure in evaluation and redesign of workstations.