A PRISMA Review of Human Pose Estimation Models for Ergonomic Risk Assessment and Workplace Safety

Abstract

This study presents a PRISMA-based systematic review and meta-analysis of HPE applications for ergonomic risk assessment and workplace safety. The findings indicate that HPE models offer a non-invasive, scalable solution for monitoring worker posture and identifying ergonomic risks. The systematic review highlighted the potential of HPE models in improving workplace safety by providing real-time posture monitoring and ergonomic risk assessment. Studies using OpenPose, MediaPipe, and AlphaPose demonstrated high accuracy in detecting posture deviations, with mean errors ranging from less than 2 mm RMSE to over 70 mm PA-MPJPE, depending on environmental conditions and body regions tracked. The meta-analysis revealed a significant reduction in MSD prevalence due to ergonomic interventions, with a standardized mean difference of −0.71 in pre-post studies and −0.91 in controlled trials. Studies implementing workstation adjustments, ergonomic training, and real-time feedback, showed the highest improvements in posture correction and risk mitigation, consistently reducing musculoskeletal symptoms across workplace settings.