REBA Calculator: Free Rapid Entire Body Assessment Worksheet

What does this REBA calculator do?

This REBA calculator is a digital version of the REBA worksheet. REBA (Rapid Entire Body Assessment) is an observational method published by Hignett and McAtamney in 2000. It turns one posture into a single number that reflects the postural load on the whole body, including the trunk, neck, legs, arms and wrists.

The calculator follows the published worksheet. You enter joint angles and a few yes/no adjustments, and it looks up the three REBA tables (A, B and C) for you. It shows each intermediate score, so you can see which body region is pushing the result up.

It assesses one posture at a time. It does not measure angles from an image; you supply them. For a full walkthrough of the method, including how to observe the task and pick the posture, read our step-by-step REBA assessment guide.

What do you need before using the REBA calculator?

A REBA score is only as good as its inputs. Before you open the rapid entire body assessment calculator, gather:

• A clear view of the posture. A paused video frame or photo taken side-on to the worker makes trunk, neck and arm angles much easier to estimate than watching live. If you're weighing up tools that do this automatically, our guide to evaluating ergonomic assessment software lists what to check.
• The side you will score. Group B (upper arm, lower arm, wrist) is scored for one side. Pick the side under greater load or in the more awkward position.
• The load or force. Weigh the item or check the label. The load bands are under 5 kg, 5-10 kg and over 10 kg, so an estimate near a boundary is worth checking.
• The grip. Note whether there is a well-fitting handle, an acceptable hand hold, or no proper hold at all. This sets the coupling score.
• Timing. Count how often the action repeats per minute and whether any body part is held still for more than a minute. These drive the activity score.

With those in hand, scoring one posture in the REBA score calculator takes a few minutes.

How does the REBA calculator work out the score?

REBA splits the body into two groups and then combines them. The REBA calculator applies these rules automatically.

Group A (trunk, neck, legs)

The three scores go into Table A. Then a load/force score is added: 0 for under 5 kg, 1 for 5-10 kg, 2 for more than 10 kg, plus 1 for shock or rapid build-up of force. The result is Score A.

Group B (upper arm, lower arm, wrist)

These go into Table B. A coupling score is added: 0 good, 1 fair, 2 poor, 3 unacceptable. That gives Score B.

Table C and activity

Scores A and B are combined in Table C. Finally, the calculator adds 1 point for each activity factor that applies: one or more body parts held static for longer than 1 minute, small-range actions repeated more than 4 times per minute, or rapid large changes in posture or an unstable base. The maximum final score is 15.

What do REBA scores mean?

The score ranks urgency. It is a screening result, not a measure of how likely a specific worker is to be injured. Use it to compare tasks, to prioritize fixes, and to check whether a redesign actually lowered the score.

Which posture should I score?

Pick the posture that matters most for risk. Common choices are the posture held for the longest time, the one repeated most often, or the most extreme moment of the cycle, such as reaching to the bottom of a bin.

Watch several cycles first. A single snapshot can be misleading if the worker changes technique between cycles. If a task has distinct steps, score each one separately and focus on the highest.

What are common mistakes with REBA?

• Measuring the wrong angle. Trunk flexion is measured from vertical, and elbow flexion is the angle between the upper arm and forearm. Upper arm flexion is measured from the trunk, not from vertical.
• Forgetting adjustments. Twisting, shoulder elevation and wrist deviation each add points and are easy to miss from one camera angle.
• Applying the arm support deduction loosely. Only subtract when the arm is genuinely supported or the person is leaning on something.
• Treating the score as final. A high REBA score tells you where to look. The fix still needs an understanding of why the posture happens, such as work height, reach distance or part presentation.

Not sure whether REBA or RULA fits your task? See RULA vs REBA. For upper-limb jobs at a bench or seat, try the free RULA calculator instead.

What should you do after you get a REBA score?

Look at the intermediate scores first. If Score A is high, the fix is usually about work height, reach or floor-level handling. If Score B is high, look at arm reach, tool and part presentation, or the grip.

Make one change, then run the same posture through the REBA calculator again. A before-and-after score is simple evidence that the redesign worked. Our guide on running a REBA assessment from observation to action includes a worked warehouse example of this.

Can I get REBA angles from a photo or video?

Yes. ViveLab's AI posture analysis tool runs pose detection in your browser, estimates joint angles from a photo or video, and pre-fills REBA and RULA. You then confirm what a camera cannot see, such as load, coupling and wrist twist. It is an AI-assisted estimate that a competent person should review.

For lifting tasks, pair REBA with the NIOSH lifting calculator, which looks at load weight and lift geometry rather than posture alone. For background on the injuries these tools aim to prevent, see work-related musculoskeletal disorders.