Ergonomics in a Nutshell Documents
Making it Happen!
This publication for Line Managers in industry has been developed to provide practical guidance on introducing HFE into the workplace. The authors are experienced practitioners from Colombia, Australia and USA who outline the key steps required to introduce successful programs at a company level including product developments and projects to address workplace injuries, performance and quality issues. Case studies are provided to illustrate how the practitioners assisted managers in implementing HFE in their business including the challenges of change management to ensure that all the stakeholders are engaged in the process.
Getting Down to Business
The first in the Ergonomics Nutshell series, this publication is a guide aimed at helping industry leaders boost their organisations through adopting a human factors approach. It was published by the International Ergonomics Association and its federated member society, the Charted Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors of the United Kingdom.
Giving Your Business the Human Factors Edge contains real-life examples of how the discipline can support everything from providing profits and cost savings to improving health and safety. It’s packed with case studies and tips on how to introduce human factors thinking to an organisation.
There’s also advice on how to start a conversation around human factors and begin implementing changes to a business.
A handy infographic, along with a short, animated video, have also been created detailing the many measurable benefits of adding a human factors perspective. These include an average 67% decrease in errors, a 58% average fall in staff absence, reduced waste, more balanced workload and up to 1000% return on investment.
Download the video and infographic
Co-author Andrew Thatcher said: “The intention is that the publication can be used to ‘sell’ the value of human factors to business leaders. We’ve also provided links to other resources and case studies so this should be of assistance in promoting human factors.”
IEA/ILO Documents
Principles and Guidelines for Human Factors/Ergonomics (HF/E) Design and Management of Work Systems
IEA announces the publication of the final document on Principles and Guidelines for HF/E Design and Management of Work System, prepared by experts from IEA, its member societies, the International Labour Organization (ILO), and other partner organizations. The document can provide assistance to authorities, decision makers, employers and other stakeholders who want to ensure worker and organizational safety, health, wellbeing, and sustainability. Foundational principles and guidelines for HF/E design and management of work systems apply across all sectors and occupations and underlie the creation of decent work.
This final version is published by ILO and IEA:
Principles and Guidelines for Human Factors/Ergonomics (HF/E) Management of Work Systems
The document is also available in a Spanish version;
Principios y Directrices de EFH para el Diseño y Gestión de Sistemas de Trabajo v1
Additionally, a number of ergonomics students under the supervision of Dr. Seyed Abolfazl Zakarian, the past president of the Iranian Ergonomics Society, translated the document into Farsi/Persian.
We welcome comments from all stakeholders.
Review report on laws and practice related to human factors/ergonomics and manual handling at the workplace
Decent work for all, a goal shared by ILO and the International Ergonomics Association (IEA), cannot be achieved unless human factors/ergonomics (HFE) principles and a HFE systems approach are incorporated in the design of work systems. However, despite the acknowledged importance of HFE in the workplace, most countries and regions lack comprehensive regulations and requirements for HFE design implementation. The Review report on laws and practice related to human factors/ergonomics and manual handling at the workplace, part of the Occupational Safety and Health Series (75), describes principles, concepts, and approaches critical to HFE and manual handling in the workplace and reviews HFE-related legislation, standards, and guidance documents from selected countries and regions across the globe as well as from ILO. A primary goal of the review report is to provide technical background for the preparation of ILO’s normative work on workplace HFE and manual handling. The review is also intended to serve as a resource for countries, regions, and organizations on HFE elements to be considered in the regulation and guidance of HFE and manual handling in the workplace.
Ergonomic Checkpoints 2nd edition
With the cooperation with IEA, the ILO has published the revised version of “Ergonomic Checkpoints”. The original version of the checkpoints was publish in 1996 and has been a popular training and practicing material worldwide since than. The checkpoints aim at reducing work-related accidents and diseases and improving safety, health and working conditions. The new edition manual book present 132 realistic and flexible solutions to ergonomics problems which are designed to a whole range of workplace situation. More full-colors illustrations and more practical tools (including checklist template and action indication) are provided.
Ergonomic Checkpoints in Health Care Work
“Ergonomic Checkpoints in Health Care Work” was created by the Human Ergology Society of Japan in collaboration with IEA. It contains practical applications of ergonomics for health care workers in a participatory, easy-to-use checkpoints format. This participatory checkpoint strategy can improve the lives of caregivers and especially those who benefit from their work. The scientific-based ergonomic principles illustrate how ergonomics can make a difference in system effectiveness and well-being.
Ergonomic checkpoints: Practical and easy-to-implement solutions for improving safety, health and working conditions. Second edition
Fully revised and expanded, this new edition of the highly successful Ergonomic checkpoints is aimed at reducing work-related accidents and diseases and improving safety, health and working conditions. Building on the wealth of experience of practitioners in applying these checkpoints, the second edition features revised text, additional checkpoints and new, full-colour illustrations.
Ergonomic Checkpoints in Agriculture
The IEA and International Labour Office (ILO) jointly published “Ergonomic Checkpoints in Agriculture”. This collaboration complements ILO’s efforts to establish new standards in safety and health in agriculture. Target groups include agricultural workers, farmers, farm managers, extension workers and trainers, tool and machine designers, occupational safety and health personnel and others concerned with ergonomic aspects of agriculture.
WHO/ILO/IEA Documents
Healthy and Safe Telework
The aim of this document is to provide technical information to employers, teleworkers and worker representatives about the impact of telework on health, safety and well-being. It provides practical advice on organizing and carrying out telework in a way that protects and promotes physical and mental health and social well-being, according to the existing World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, ILO standards and guides, Human Factors and Ergonomics evidence based practices.
Other publications
Future of Ergonomics
The Future of Ergonomics panel final report that serves as the basis for IEA policy and actions.
A version of the report was published in Ergonomics.
Requests for a hardcopy of the article can also be forwarded to the first author ([email protected]).
Download Report
7 Tips for Telework
Seven Practical Human Factors and Ergonomics (HF/E) Tips for Teleworking/Home-learning using Tablet/Smartphone Devices, (English version available here) originally compiled by the Japanese Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (JES), has been newly translated into a Bahasa Malaysian version by the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of Malaysia (HFEM). It is available for download here.
A Thai version by the Ergonomics Society of Thailand is available for download here.
A Chinese version (simplified Chinese Characters) has been translated by the Chinese Ergonomics Society. It is available for download here..
The Ergonomics Society of Taiwan had also translated the document into a version featuring traditional Chinese characters. It is available for download here.
The Japanese version, translated by the Japanese Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is available for download here.
Core Competencies in Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) Professional knowledge and skills
This revision of the IEA Core Competencies was commenced in 2017 following an update of all the other IEA documents relating to professional certification. The first phase involved communication with some of the original authors and informal discussions at various IEA council meetings about what needed to be done. This resulted in a first draft, in Excel format, which was circulated to all of the IEA endorsed or recognised certificaiton bodies and a selection of educators chosen for experience, knowledge of IEA requirements and geographical location. It was important to the authors that the viewpoint of as many regions as possible should be obtained. A second draft was produced to include this feedback and the result was presented in a special session at IEA2018. Feedback from this meeting was put into the final stage of the review where the body of the competencies were incorporated into a document with explanatory text, examples of implementation and a glossary. A final review was done by the members of the IEA executive.
EQUID Design Process Guidelines, Version 2.0.
The EQUID Technical Committee (Ergonomic Quality in Design) of IEA created a document containing requirements for ergonomic quality management in the design process for products and services. This document has been reviewed by the IEA Federated Societies and iteratively revised, resulting in the current Version 2.0. It was developed to provide guidance on the term ‘Ergonomically Designed Product’. To legitimately use this description, the product shall have been developed using a process that incorporates ergonomics principles during the design process. This is referred in this document as the “EQUID Design Process.”
IEA History Books
History of the International Ergonomics Association 1985-2018
A limited number of copies of this volume are available for €25 , plus shipping and handling. Download the order form here.
50th Anniversary Booklet, The International Ergonomics Association, July 2006
History of the International Ergonomics Association: The First Quarter of a Century