Development of a certification system and core competencies for professional ergonomists in Thailand

Abstract

To reduce ergonomic risks for their workforce, many industries in Thailand seek assistance from professional ergonomists. However, most academic programs are delivered by instructors with limited human factor and ergonomics (HFE) background, who incorporate either physical or cognitive parts of HFE. To reliably assess and design systems according to HFE principles and standards, programs should be provided by creditable HFE professionals and based on holistic HFE knowledge. The objective of the present study was to initiate a transformation of the professional development in Thailand. The process included a consolidation of the details of HFE education through questionnaires, and identification of requirements from industries through a focus group interview. The results showed a prevalent lack of holistic considerations of HFE knowledge and a primary focus on physical ergonomics. Problems with lack of resources and basic knowledge in design were also reflected by concerns from the industry regarding limited experience, design competency and use of objective methodologies of HFE practitioners. This information was subsequently used to constitute the development of preliminary competencies and a pilot certification system. The proposed competencies and system were then disseminated and additional requirements that need to be incorporated into the professional HFE system were identified.

Keywords:

• Certified professional ergonomist
• core competency
• ergonomics education
• ergonomics skill requirement

Acknowledgements

We thank the Professional Standard and Education Committee of the International Ergonomics Association (IEA) for their valuable suggestions and help in the preliminary review of the certification system. We also thank the committee and advisory board of the Ergonomics Society of Thailand (EST) for their support, as well as the EST network institutes for the valuable and insightful information on HFE education, knowledge and skill requirements. This study was supported in part by the Foundation for Professional Ergonomics (FPE): www.ergofoundation.org (No. FPE 2021-2). The opinions expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of FPE.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported in part by the Foundation for Professional Ergonomics (FPE): www.ergofoundation.org (No. FPE 2021-2).