Gesellschaft für Arbeitswissenschaft e.V. (GfA)

Gesellschaft für Arbeitswissenschaft e.V. (GfA)

The GfA connects all German-speaking ergonomists from Germany, Austria and Switzerland and other countries. GfA sees itself as a research-society where science, practice and social developments are considered in an integrated manner. It provides scientifically sound studies to foster and steer the development of working-life and societal-life. The various stakeholders and organizations relevant to ergonomics are represented on the board of the society, so that work design can be successfully implemented.

Established: 16 October 1953
Approximate number of members: 516

Gesellschaft für Arbeitswissenschaft e.V.
Alte Heerstraße 111
53757 Sankt Augustin
Telefon: 0049 (0) 30 1300-13003
info@gesellschaft-fuer-arbeitswissenschaft.de
www.gesellschaft-fuer-arbeitswissenschaft.de

 

President

Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Schmauder

Technische Universität Dresden
Fakultät Maschinenwesen
Institut für Technische Logistik und Arbeitssysteme
Professur für Arbeitswissenschaft
Inhaber der Professur für Arbeitswissenschaft
Dürerstraße 26
01062 Dresden
Vice President

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Johannes Brombach

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Johannes Brombach
Hochschule München (HM)
Fakultät für Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen
Arbeitswissenschaft und angewandte Ergonomie
Lothstr. 34
80335 München
 

Vice President

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Verena Nitsch

RWTH Aachen University
Maschinenwesen
Institut für Arbeitswissenschaft
Fraunhofer-Institut für Kommunikation, Informationsverarbeitung und Ergonomie FKIE
Institutsleitung
Eilfschornsteinstr. 18
52062 Aachen
Executive Board Member

Prof. Dr. Rolf Ellegast

Deutsche Gesetzliche Unfallversicherung e.V. (DGUV)
Institut für Arbeitsschutz der DGUV (IFA)
Geschäftsführendes Vorstandsmitglied der GfA e.V.
Alte Heerstraße 111
53757 Sankt Augustin
Fon 0049 (0) 30 1300 13005
Fax 0049 (0) 30 1300 186 3005

E-Mail Rolf.Ellegast@dguv.de

 

Overview of GfA activities

  • The Spring-Congress is the major annual event and has about 400 participants. It gives the overall overview of the current status of ergonomics.
  • The Autumn-Conference has about 120 Participants and provides a detailed view on a particular theme of interest in the community.
  • Workshops on certain ergonomic topics are offered and a specific junior program for young members is established via the GfA-next network twice a year. Previous programs under this initiative included the following: Digital methods in education and training, Sociology of work New Work / hybrid societies, Digital human models, Cognitive Neuro-ergonomics / Psycho-ergonomics and Human-robot interaction.

Networking and collaborative initiatives include:

o GfA is a member of the Centre for Registration of European Ergonomists (CREE) which grants professional certification.

o GfA coordinates with other human-related societies in German-speaking countries and forms an overarching working-association with the PASIG (Psychology of Occupational Safety and Health), the DGPs (German Society for Psychology), and the DGAH (German Society for Occupational Hygiene). This working-association coordinates important topics for humane work design throughout Germany

Status of Human Factors/ Ergonomics (HFE) in the countries where the society is located

Virtually all practitioners and decision-makers who work on ergonomic topics in the German-speaking countries are organized via the GfA. The implementation of scientific findings into occupational practice via the society is correspondingly broad. Ergonomic topics cover the entire socio-technical system ranging from mental and physical stress in all possible forms of work, including topics such as home office and work-life balance in the context of the pandemic up to classic topics of work design in assembly and production such as muscular strain.

With its expertise, GfA supports the implementation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act in Germany and, in addition, supports the establishment of ergonomic standards in supplier organizations on the global market through the European supply chain law and the International Labour Organization (ILO).

The current challenges seen are to establish the approach of a humane work design consistently throughout all facets of human work. It is key for this to see work science proactively rather than reactively incorporated into the work design processes. In order to enhance health, safety and well-being for people proactively, the appropriate education with regard to ergonomic topics during the qualification processes is seen as a key success factor. Another vital topic is the connection of occupational science topics with the sustainability goals, pointing out that ergonomics will be a key enabler for achieving sustainability goals.

Upcoming GfA events