The ART Tool
Task description form
Assessor name:
Date:
Company name:
Location:
Name of task:
Task description:
What is the weight of any items handled?
If items weigh more than 8 kg and the task involves manual handling consider using the MAC
Which side of the body is primarily involved?
Left
right
both
What hand tools are used?
Production rate (if available)
units per shift, hour or minute (circle as appropriate)
How often is the task repeated?
every
seconds
Draw the breaks in the shift
First hour
How long does a
worker perform the
task?
…without a break
hours
…in a typical day or shift (excluding breaks)
hours
How often does an individual perform the task? (eg daily, weekly, etc)
How often is the task carried out within the organisation? (eg daily, etc)
Do workers rotate to other tasks?
If so, what tasks?
You can download further copies of these forms at www.hse.gov.uk/msd/uld/art
The ART Tool
Score sheet
Enter the colour band and numerical score for each risk factor in the table below.
Follow the instructions on page 15 to determine the task score and exposure score.
Left arm
Risk factors
Colour
Right arm
Score
Colour
Score
A1 Arm movements
A2 Repetition
B
Force
C1 Head/neck posture
C2 Back posture
C3 Arm posture
C4 Wrist posture
C5 Hand/finger grip
D1 Breaks
D2 Work pace
D3 Other factors
Task score
X
D4 Duration multiplier
X
Exposure score
D5 Psychosocial factors
Are there other indications that the task is high risk?
The task or similar tasks have a history of ULDs (eg company accident book,
RIDDOR reports, medically diagnosed cases of upper limb disorders).
There are signs workers find the task difficult (eg wearing arm supports or
bandages, reporting discomfort, aches or pains). Ask the workers if they
have any of these symptoms.
Other indications? If so, describe:
Flow chart
Stage A Frequency/repetition
Almost neutral
START
Stage
A Frequency/repetition
G
G
Infrequent (eg some
Left Right
intermittent movement) Left Right
0
0
A1
G
G
Infrequent (eg some
A
A
Arm intermittent movement)
0
0
movements
A1
3
Frequent (eg regular
A
A 3
Arm
movement
some (eg almost
R
R
Verywith
frequent
movements
pauses)continuous movement)
3
3
START
6
6
R
R
Very frequent (eg almost
continuous
movement)
Similar
motion patterns
6 G 6 G
repeated 10 times per
0
minute patterns
or less
Similar motion
G
G 0
A2
repeated
10 times
per patterns
Similar
motion
A
A
Repetition
0
minute or
less 11 to 20 times 0
repeated
A2
Repetition
per minute
Similar motion
patterns
A
A 3
repeated
11 to motion
20 times
Similar
patterns
R
per minute
3
3
repeated more than 20
times per
minute
Similar motion
patterns
repeated more than 20
times per minute
R 6
R
6
Stage B Force
6
Stage B Force
G
See grid on page 9 of
Right
Left Right
the assessment guideLeft
G
G 0
See grid on page 9 of
B
the assessment
guide
A
See grid on
page 9 of
Force
0
0
the assessment guide
A
A 1-4
See grid on page 9 of
B
Force
the assessment
guide
See grid on
page 9 of
1-4
the assessment guide
R
See grid on page 9 of
the assessment guide
R
1-4
R6-12
6-12 6-12
StageStage
C Awkward
postures
C Awkward
postures
C1
Almost neutral
Head/
Bent or twisted part of G
neck
the time
C1
Head/ posture
Bent or twisted part of G
A
0
neck
the time
posture
A
Bent orBent
twisted
more than
or twisted
more than R
1
half of half
the
time
Almost
of theneutral
time
R
C2
G2
Almost neutral
Back
posture
C2
Bent forward,
sideways
orG or A
Back
Bent forward,
sideways
0
twistedtwisted
part ofpart
the time
posture
of the time
Stage D Additional factors
0
1
2
0
1
G
Less than 1 hour of
Stage D Additional
factors
continuous
work
Less than 1 hour of
G
1 to less than 2 hours of
continuous work
continuous work
D1
1 to less2 than
2 hours
to less
than 3ofhours of A
Breaks
continuous
work work
continuous
D1
Breaks
0
A
0
2
A
2
2 to less3 than
3 hours
to less
than 4ofhours of A
continuous
work work
continuous
4
R
4
3 to less4 than
4 hours
ofof
or more
hours
continuous
work work
continuous
6
R
6
8
R
4 or more hours of
R
A
Bent forward,
sideways
continuous
work
Never
difficult to keep up
G8
Bent forward,
sideways R
1
or twisted
more than
with the work
or twisted
more than
0
D2
3
2
half thehalf
time
R
the time
Never difficult to keep up
G
Work
Sometimes difficult to
A
with the work
0
R
pace
keep up with the work
1
2 Right
Left
Right D2
Left
Work
Sometimes
difficult
to
A
C3
Often
difficult
to
keep
up
R
6
Elbow Elbow
close to
the body
G
close
to the body G
pace
keep upwith
withthe
thework
work
1
Arm
2
or the or
arm
is arm
supported
0
0
the
is
supported
posture
C3
Often
difficult
to
keep
up
R
G
G
A
Arm
Elbow Elbow
raised raised
away from
A
away from A
with the work
2 Right
Left
Right
Left
0
02
posture
the body
ofpart
the time
thepart
body
of the time
22
No factors present
G
G
A
A
Elbow Elbow
raised raised
away from
R
away from R
0
0
G
2
2
D3
the body
themore
bodythan
morehalf
than half
No factors present
G
G
AA
Other
1 factor present
A
neutral/straight R
4
of the time
ofAlmost
the time
R 4
0
0
011
factors
D3
1
C4
A
A
A
Other
1 factor2present
Almost
neutral/straight
G
G
4
4
or
more
factors
present
R
R
Wrist
1
12
0
0 factors
posture
2
1-4 C4
G
G
2
or
more
factors
present
R
R
Wrist
A
A
Bent orBent
deviated
part
of
orordeviated
part
of
Bent
deviated
more
0
01
R
Less than 2 hours
posture
2
2 x 0.5
the time
1
the
time
than
half of the time
A
A
Bent
or
deviated
more
R
R
6-12
x 0.5 x 0.75
Less than
hours
1
12
2 to2 less
than 4 hours
than half of the time
2
D4
R
R
Duration
C5
2 to less4 than
4 hours
x 0.75 x 1
PowerPower
grip orgrip
no awkward
2 G2 G
or no awkward
D4
to 8 hours
Hand/
grip grip
0
0
Duration
finger
C5
G
G
4 to 8 hours
x1
wideorfinger
A
Hand/ grip Pinch or
Pinch
wide grip
finger grip A
More than 8 hours
x 1.5
0
01
for partfor
ofpart
the time
finger
1
of the time
grip
A
A
More than 8 hours
x 1.5
Pinch or
wideorfinger
R
Pinch
wide grip
finger grip R
1
1
for more
of half
the of the
forthan
morehalf
than
2
time time
R 2
R
Stage A Frequency score
Stage B Force score
Stage C Posture score
A1 + A2
B
C1 + C2 + C3 + C4 2
+
2
Stage A Frequency score
Stage B Force score
Stage C Posture score
Duration
Exposure score
Stage D Additional factors
Task score
Left hand
D4
A1 + A2
B
D1 + D2 + D3
D4
+ C1+ + C2 + C3 + C4 + C5 + C5
+
+
=
X
=
Right hand
Duration
Exposure score
Stage D Additional factors
Task score
Left hand
D1 + D2 + D3
+
=
X
=
Right hand
18