The Rapid Office Strain Assessment (ROSA): Validity of online worker self-assessments and the relationship to worker discomfort

The purpose of this study was to examine if office workers were capable of using an online version of ROSA to accurately assess MSD risk factors in their own offices, and see if online training can reduce discomfort. Fifty-five participants completed a four week program where they assessed their own office simultaneously with a trained observer, and either received or did not receive feedback on their performance. A main effect for Assessment Type was seen for the ROSA final score, and mouse and keyboard section, with workers underestimating these risk factors on average. Worker and observer assessments of the chair, monitor and telephone were not significantly different but were significantly correlated. Worker-reported scores were more strongly correlated with discomfort than observer-reported scores. Feedback appeared to have a detrimental effect on worker-assessment accuracy, and the relationship between discomfort and ROSA scores. Mean discomfort decreased across the four weeks of the study, as did ROSA final scores.