Activities - 2006 - Minutes from the Council Meeting

Background

The Council meeting was held on July 7th in Maastricht. This text is an abbreviated account, the full minutes were made available to the federated societies.

Participants

• Pieter Rookmaaker, Chair
• Clas-Håkan Nygård, Secretary
• Dirk Delaruelle, Treasurer and delegate for Belgium Ergonomics Society
• Dietmar Gude, Web Committee
• Kamiel Vanwonterghem, EUTF
• David O'Neill, Meeting Committee
• Lina Bonapace, Communication and Promotion Committee and delegate for Italian Ergonomics Society
• Reg Sell, Ergonomics Society
• Martti Launis, Finnish Ergonomics Society
• Christina Jonsson, Swedish Ergonomics Society
• Berit Kaasli-Klarer, Swiss Ergonomics Society
• Johan Molenbroek, Dutch Ergonomics Society
• Martin Schütte, German Ergonomics Society
• Maria Monotolini, Spain Ergonomics Society
• Christophe Maes, EUTF

Introduction and meeting agenda

Council was welcomed by FEES president Pieter Rookmaaker and the agenda was accepted.

Minutes from the 3rd Council meeting in Hatfield 2005

The minutes were accepted without changes.

Updating of activities from the last council meeting

Clas-Håkan Nygård reported the main activities in FEES from the last council meeting in Hatfield 2005.

Activities in the Committees

• Meeting Committee. David O'Neill informed about activities in the committee. FEES is as a co-organizer of IEA 2006 (e.g., FEES session). FEES has organized together with CREE and IEA a workshop (NES 2005, Oslo, Norway), on the IEA proposed guidelines for master courses in ergonomics. A one-day seminar together with ES on “The Commercial Benefits of Ergonomics” was organized in April 2005. FEES has endorsed 2 conferences; The Annual Conference of the Belgian Ergonomics Society and the Annual Conferences of the Nordic Ergonomics Society (NES 2006).
• European Task Force. Kamiel Vanwonterghem informed about the European Task Force (EUTF). Priorities are now set to see how FEES can be involved in the different existing EU organizations / directorates. FEES-members should stimulate their experts in ergonomics to register as candidates to evaluate EU-projects (FP 7, DG Research). Planning of eventual common EU-financed projects is encouraged. EUTF has planned several activities related to IEA 2006 Congress (e.g., meetings with EU people). Ergonomics as such is - obviously - not very well known in the European Union. Planning of a questionnaire to be sent to authorities about knowledge and applications of ergonomics and eventual wishes. EUTF should still be expanded with more people from the national societies.
• Web Committee. Dietmar Gude informed about the updating of FEES web-site. The web-site has been established as an important and appreciated communication channel. New resources are among others an e-mail list for web managers and a secured forum for registered members from the societies, updated section of 'What is FEES', information about EU and information about ergonomics (training, institutions, etc).
• Communication and Promotion Committee. Lina Bonapace discussed the activities of the communication and promotion committee. There are several activities during IEA 2006 (e.g., FEES corners, FEES lunch). FEES flyer has been updated and printed. The planning of a 'European Ergonomics Month' has started. FEES has participated the third time at the Ergonoma / Confoseat 3rd European Tradeshow in Brussels.
• The Standard Committee is still lacking a chair but discussions are going on in that case. Mean while council accepted that Martin Schütte coordinates activities between FEES and CEN/TC 112 'Ergonomics'.

FEES finances

Treasurer Dirk Delaruelle reported about FEES balance sheet for 2005 and a preliminary budget for 2006. The report from the auditors told that the accounting has been made properly. The financial account was accepted by council. The auditors (Ernst Koningsveld and Martin Schütte) have accepted to continue their work also for the next year.

FEES finances are for the moment in balance but because of the increase of activities FEES will have financial problems in a short time if we do not find other ways to increase the income than the duties from the national societies. In this phase an increase in the duties for the societies is not an option. As meetings take a big part of the budget, it was discussed how to reduce those costs. It was agreed that physical meetings with persons are needed. Especially in the start of new activities face-to-face meetings are needed. It was also discussed how to introduce sustaining membership in FEES. Council voted in favour for a system of sustained membership for FEES. Dirk Delaruelle will plan this more in detail for next executive meeting.

Matters of member societies

The Polish Ergonomics Society was accepted as a full member of FEES.

The Croatian Ergonomics Society has not paid their duties for the period 2004-2006. It was decided that President Pieter Rookmaaker shall contact them first by phone or meet and ask them to pay.

Rules (voting item)

A rule about the termination of membership of national society in FEES was introduced and discussed. A new rule was accepted by council: 'Non-payment of the whole annual fee for more than one year renders the FEES-member liable to termination of membership by the FEES-council'.

Proposal for an European Ergonomics Month

The idea about an European Ergonomics Month was introduced by Lina Bonapace. After that, this idea was further discussed in 3 discussion groups in order to define goals and objectives and to suggest programs and initiatives for such a month. The discussion group produced three topics: Ergonomics for Schools, Ergonomics at Home, and Ergonomics for Kids. It was decided that Lina Bonapace can go on to plan an European Ergonomics Month for the next council with the topic 'Ergonomics for Schools'.

Proposal for an European Ergonomics Impact Factor procedure

Martin Schütte introduced a proposal to plan a FEES initiative for an European Ergonomics Impact Factor procedure. It was agreed that this is an importance matter but it was doubt that FEES may not be able to develop an own system but could take an initiative and maybe coordinate the activities. Council delegated Martin Schütte to gather a group to plan this in a more detail.

Matters of IEA and IEA 2006

As a co-organiser of the IEA 2006 congress FEES has a lot of activities during the congress (e.g., FEES corners with FEES flyers, a luncheon with the presidents of the national ergonomics societies, a FEES session). FEES executive committee is represented in the IEA council by Pieter Rookmaaker, Clas-Håkan Nygård, and Lina Bonapace. Pieter Rookmaaker will present the main activities of FEES for IEA council.

Election of officers (voting item) (chaired by Clas-Håkan Nygård)

For the next three year period (2006-2009) there were one candidate for the president (Pieter Rookmaaker - Dutch Ergonomics Society), 2 candidates for the secretary (Kristiina Juvas - Finnish Ergonomics Society and David O'Neill - Ergonomics Society) and one candidate for the treasurer office (Dirk Delaruelle - Belgium Ergonomics Society).

Pieter Rookmaaker was voted to continue as the President, David O'Neill as the Secretary General, and Dirk Delaruelle as Treasurer.

President Pieter Rookmaaker expressed his great thanks to Clas-Håkan Nygård who will now finish his job as Secretary General. Clas has given much support to the growth of FEES and in particular to Pieter. To symbolise this Clas will receive after the Council something tangible!

Next council meeting

The decision about time and place for the next Council meeting will be made after next executive meeting.

Miscellaneous

Kamiel Vanwonterghem summarised main activities to be recognised in the activities towards EU. Council did continue on a more informal way with Véronique de Keyser (EUMP). The discussion was very open and informative for both parties.

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Page created 2006 by Clas-Håkan Nygård - last revision 11.10.2007 by Dietmar Gude