<![CDATA[Motor vehicle inspection plays an essential role in ensuring that vehicles comply with roadworthiness requirements and transportation safety standards. One stage of inspection with potential ergonomic risks is emissions testing, because motor vehicle inspectors must insert a probe into the vehicle exhaust pipe, operate a smoke tester or gas analyzer, and observe the test results while adopting various working postures. These activities are often performed in bent or squatting positions and involve repeatedly maintaining static postures, which may lead to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). This descriptive quantitative study analyzed the working postures of 30 motor vehicle inspectors during emissions testing using the Nordic Body Map (NBM), Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA), and Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA), supported by posture simulation with Siemens Jack 8.4 software. NBM was used to identify musculoskeletal complaints based on respondents' perceptions, whereas REBA and RULA objectively evaluated whole-body and upper-body postural risk. NBM classified 53.3% of inspectors as low risk and 46.7% as moderate risk, with complaints most frequently involving the neck, shoulders, back, lower back, and knees. REBA classified 30.0% of postures as low risk, 36.7% as moderate risk, and 33.3% as high risk. RULA classified 6.7% as low risk, 26.7% as moderate risk, 13.3% as high risk, and 53.3% as very high risk. The principal contributing factors were low exhaust-pipe height, trunk flexion during probe insertion, prolonged static postures, and repetitive movement. The contrast between subjective complaints and observational scores suggests that hazardous postures may be present before severe symptoms are consistently perceived. Ergonomic improvements are therefore required, including assistive devices, work rotation, feasible adjustment of working height, and training in appropriate postures to reduce MSD risk and improve occupational safety and health]]>
