Development of the DiSPA tool for whole-body MSD risk factors exposure assessment

The nature of tasks in the construction industry predisposes workers to the risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Ergonomic assessment tools are designed to minimise this risk. These tools are developed to evaluate tasks based on workers’ exposure to MSD risk factors. However, most existing assessment tools are limited in the risk factors they incorporate or in the anatomical regions they assess. The discomfort survey and postural assessment (DiSPA) tool has been developed to address the collective shortcomings of existing MSD assessment tools. It comprises a discomfort survey component and a postural assessment component. DiSPA incorporates more MSD risk factors and is equipped to assess both upper and lower body parts. A psychometric test was conducted to evaluate the inter-rater reliability of DiSPA. Seventy-two construction workers from six different trades, namely, drivers, operators, carpenters, iron workers, masons, and labourers, were assessed using DiSPA. The data generated were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics, version 29, with p < 0.01. The results of the reliability test suggest a strong relationship among the variables (rho = 0.938–1.000), indicating a high inter-rater reliability. The outcome demonstrates that the novel DiSPA tool is reliable for assessing workers' exposure to MSD risk factors.