Activities - 2007 - FEES Report to IEA Council

This report covers our activities in the year July 2006 to June 2007.

FEES has had an active year with several activities generated by or at the IEA Congress in Maastricht. We have one new Member, the Polish Ergonomics Society, and two more expected to join during the next year. We have introduced the principle of Sustaining Members (similar to that of IEA) and, so far, have accepted two. We also have three Supporting Organisations.

The most significant activity since the IEA Congress has been a 2-day Workshop held in Brussels in March to promote ergonomics in the new Research Programme (FP7) set up by the EC/EU. The main purpose was for EC staff to explain to members of our national Societies the key aspects of how to become involved in the many topic areas. During the Workshop the EC staff also learnt more about ergonomics, thereby, creating a secondary outcome of informing EC personnel about the breadth and depth of ergonomics. The Workshop ended with a practical exercise in which three started formulating research proposals. Attention was also given to the challenge to apply for an expert-position as ergonomist in the evaluation of FP 7 – proposals.

The FEES annual Council meeting was held in March and we have had two meetings of the Executive and two meetings of the EU Task Force. The other Committees have been less active: the Communications and Promotion Committee went quiet when Lina Bonapace moved into an IEA role, but we now have a new Chair – Kristiina Juvas. The Standards Committee is now becoming more active under the Chairmanship of Martin Schuette. The Meetings Committee has been absorbed into the Executive.

FEES has still some serious financial problems due to the fact that the income is rather fixed and the expenditure is influenced by important developments like the progress in the contacts with the EU/EC. Promotion and communication will also influence the budget (e.g. the starting of the European Month on Ergonomics). Therefore FEES gives great attention to the sustaining membership-issue.

The website contains much relevant information on FEES and is well worth a visit. (www.fees-network.org) The calendar section provides a useful summary of national and international events. To enhance this, please ensure the webmaster, Dietmar Gude, is notified of all your Society events. gude@ifado.de

Looking to the future, FEES, in particular the Communications and Promotion Committee, has initiated and is strongly encouraging national Societies to participate in the European Month of Ergonomics. This will be held later this year on 22 – 26 October in conjunction with the “Lighten the Load” campaign (see website ew2007.osha.europa.eu/about/ ).

Dave O’Neill
FEES Secretary-General, 6 August 2007

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Page created 2007 by David O'Neill - last revision 27.10.2008 by Dietmar Gude