What is Ergonomics - Ergonomists' Profiles

Background

As part of a project by Petra Breedveld and Jan Dul from RSM Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, a study was done amongst ergonomists, in co-operation with the Centre for Registration of European Ergonomists (CREE). The study focused on European ergonomists, certified on the basis of criteria set by CREE. The aims of the study were (1) to provide an overview of the position of certified European ergonomists within organisations and their working methods, and (2) to explore factors that contribute to the ergonomists’ acceptance and success. The data were collected using a web-based questionnaire survey. The questionnaire was sent to 255 certified European ergonomists, of which 130 participated in the study (response rate 51%).

Main Results

The results suggest that the typical certified European ergonomist is a male, full time employed external consultant, around 45 years old, with Master degree and more than 10 years of experience as ergonomist. The respondents had 15 nationalities; most of them were British, Dutch, French, and German. The majority of the ergonomists is employed in a private organisation in a service branch. They advise organisations mainly about health and safety, and engineering and technical topics.

Ergonomists cooperate most often with health and safety, and production departments in organisations for which they work, and with general management. They collaborate with different professionals, mostly with engineers, safety experts, and designers, and less with health professionals. Ergonomists work more on problem analysis and developing solutions, than on implementing and evaluating solutions. Ergonomists spent more time on physical ergonomics (44%), than on cognitive ergonomics (25%) or organisational ergonomics (27%). The most commonly used analysis methods are observation techniques and interviews. Partners who are involved in the ergonomics work of the ergonomist are workers, supervisors, specialists, and senior management.

More ergonomists consider their technical changes (e.g., workplace design) and their individual changes (e.g., training) more successful than their organisational changes. Social goals were more commonly reached than economic goals. More comfort was the most commonly reported social success of the ergonomics work; reduced human and system errors, and increased productivity were the most common economic successes.

Although ergonomists consider support from all stakeholders equally important, more support and less resistance is received from workers, rather than from managers. Ergonomists cope with resistance primarily by providing more information and using a participative approach. Ergonomists encounter the problem that ergonomics is considered too late in the design process.

Direct contact with other ergonomists and books are the most common sources of ergonomics information. The most frequently read international ergonomics journal is Applied Ergonomics. They frequently use standards and guidelines for their work.

Ergonomists who work in the manufacturing branch perceive relatively more acceptance and success than ergonomists who work in a service branch. The success of the ergonomist is related to cooperation with departments, cooperation with professionals, as well as to knowledge on ergonomics. Acceptance and success are not related to years of experience.

Complete Study

For more information, please download the complete report as a pdf file.

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Page created 2006 by referring to Petra Breedveld & Jan Dul (2005) - last revision 09.10.2007 by Dietmar Gude