ETUI / FEES project on Ergonomics and Machinery

Representatives of ETUI and FEES have met in March 2015 with the aim to set up a cooperation between FEES and ETUI in the field of the ergonomic design and use of machines.

Both parties have presented their experiences and reflections in this field, taking into account ergonomic principles. They intend to foster a FEES / ETUI joint project on the issue of “workers representatives and ergonomists cooperation in Europe in the field of the design and use of machines: state of the art and ways of improvement”.

The feedback methodology used recently on products such as forklift trucks, and agricultural machinery (harvester, tractors, woodworking,…) by ETUI could be used in the project.

The main results expected of this “Ergonomics and machinery project” are:

  • To do the mapping of ergonomics and machinery in Europe in order to enrich the different existing networks related to ergonomics and machines concerns, such as trade unionists, ergonomists, designers, users…,
  • To consider the social dialogue on these OSH issues, where there are worker representatives without links (or weak links) with Trade unions, to have a better overview of this situation in Europe,
  • To consider the possibility to have some national relay via FEES in European countries, according to the different national backgrounds,
  • To prepare propositions for the next IEA 2018 Congress in Florence in order to present the results of common projects on this topic, following the workshops organized this year (2015).

The future steps of the project are:

  • To do the mapping of ergonomics and machinery in order to know the situation in Europe through a FEES project: a first sum up is expected for the end of October 2015; To organize a seminar in November 2015 (on the 12th and 13th) in Paris in order to share information and reflections and to decide new steps of the joint project.
  • FEES executive asks member societies to provide information on the activities conducted by ergonomists in the field of machines and ergonomics, for example:
    • enquiries or reports,
    • debates inside the standardization groups on ergonomics issues,
    • academic and expert resources in the field of machines and ergonomics,
    • innovative projects/symposiums in the field of ergonomics design of machines.
    • financial resources which may be mobilized in order to foster training sessions or research in this field.
  • To make known if some members are interested in the attendance at the next FEES / ETUI seminar please send all useful information to: secretary-general@ergonomics-fees.eu.

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