WOOD CHOPPING EXCERSIZE 1
Ergonomic Review & Risk Assessment – Wood Chopping
John P. Smith
Columbia Southern University
MOS 6701
The video shows an older man, outdoors in the woods chopping tree segments into
smaller parts. Most of the video shows the man splitting the wood as he reaches it from one side
to the other. Additional movements involved were twisting in awkward movements while he
bends to pick of the wood, transferring it to the splitter, and tossing the split pieces into a pile.
This is a repetitive task that can show signs of MSD risk. The operator is wearing some personal
protective equipment, but not everything that could have been used in this scenario.
The Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) was used to evaluate and identify MSD risks
in the wood chopping process. REBA is a single page worksheet that assesses body posture,
forceful exertions, and types of movement/action, repetition and coupling (Coyle, 2005).
Scores were assigned for the shoulders, neck, wrists, forearm, elbows, legs, and knees according
