Category: Relations

Organisational relations of FEES

New Belgian regulations relating to ergonomics at work and the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) at work

Gyula Szabo Leave a comment

Preventing musculoskeletal disorders at work was only partially regulated in Belgium before 25 May 2024, when a new regulation was enacted. The Royal Decree (RD) of 19 March 2024 amended Book VIII of the Code of Well-being at Work regarding ergonomics and preventing MSDs at work.

The large number of workers absent from (long-term) work due to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) clearly shows that there is an urgent need to focus more on preventing these disorders and on improving workplace ergonomics in general. This comprehensive approach is immediately apparent in the new Title of Book VIII of the Code, which will subsequently be entitled ‘Ergonomics at Work and Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders’.

Key Concepts Introduced by the Royal Decree

The Royal Decree first introduces four concepts defined in the Code:

  • The ergonomist prevention consultant
  • Ergonomics at work
  • Musculoskeletal disorders
  • Musculoskeletal risks at work

General Principles Added to Book VIII

The Royal Decree then adds certain general principles relating to ergonomics at work and the prevention of MSDs to Book VIII of the Code, which are included in the new Title 1:

  • The employer must consider ergonomics when designing and fitting new workstations and adapting existing ones.
  • The employer must implement a policy of preventing MSDs or other health problems caused or aggravated by musculoskeletal risks at work through a global approach that takes into account the various risk factors, such as biomechanical risk factors, other risk factors linked to the workstation, and the results of risk analyses carried out in different areas of well-being that may impact musculoskeletal risks at work (e.g., vibrations).
  • Several biomechanical risk factors should be considered in the risk analysis, such as the use of force, repetitive movements, duration and frequency of movements or tasks, working postures, gestures at work and contact force.
  • Appropriate preventive measures must then be taken to deal as effectively as possible with these musculoskeletal risks in the workplace. This prevention policy must also be regularly evaluated and updated.
  • The players with roles in this prevention policy are specified: the prevention advisor from the internal occupational health and safety service, the ergonomic prevention advisor and the prevention advisor/occupational physician. Finally, workers and the committee for prevention and protection at work must be informed and trained about musculoskeletal risks at work and the various preventive measures.

Tools and Information

Numerous information brochures, resources, and tools are available on the www.beswic.be website and via www.preventiondestms.be to inform and raise awareness among employers, workers, and prevention consultants about musculoskeletal risks and help them improve ergonomics in the workplace.

Webinar

On 27 May 2024, the Directorate-General for Human Resources at Work (DG HUT) of the Federal Public Service Employment organised a webinar on the new ergonomics and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) legislation.

More information on this BeSWIC site: Relive the webinar on the new regulations on ergonomics and MSD prevention.

Read the full text of the Royal Decree on the Moniteur Belge website: Moniteur Belge (gov.be).

International Conference on Safety and Innovation

Gyula Szabo Leave a comment

We are pleased to announce the International Conference on Safety and Innovation, organized by INAIL in collaboration with the ISSA Section Machine and System Safety. The event will be held from March 11th – 13th, 2025, at INAIL, Piazzale Giulio Pastore 6, Roma.

The conference will focus on the following key topics:

  • Innovative Technologies for Safety: Exploring cutting-edge technologies designed to enhance safety in the workplace. We invite papers discussing new solutions that improve safety during work activities or reduce risks through design innovations.
  • Safety of Innovative Products: Examining the safety aspects of new technologies integrated into products such as machinery, plants, and personal protective equipment (PPE). Submissions should address how these innovations comply with safety regulations and identify gaps in standardization.
  • Innovative Systems for Specialist Training: Evaluating new training systems, including virtual, augmented, and mixed reality tools. We seek papers that analyze these technologies’ effectiveness compared to traditional training methods and discuss various national protocols and guidelines.
  • Workspace Safety: Addressing the design of workspaces to ensure safe working conditions. We welcome papers that present innovative design solutions and examine how workspace design influences worker behaviour and skills.
  • Safety of Living Environments and Human Settlements: Investigating methods for detecting and mitigating pollution and predictive control of structures and facilities to prevent widespread risks. Papers should focus on innovative techniques for monitoring and controlling human settlements and living environments.
  • Systems for Inclusive Safety: Focusing on creating inclusive safety systems that accommodate diverse needs, including gender differences, an ageing population, and disabilities. We encourage papers that explore technical solutions and design strategies for tools, equipment, and training that promote safety and inclusion in the workplace.

The first deadline for abstract submissions is August 30th, 2024. For further information on the topics and the Call for Papers, please visit INAIL’s event page.

The ISSA Section Machine and System Safety project group

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The project group “Human Factors, Ergonomics and Safe Machines” works on design requirements and recommendations regarding occupational safety, health, human factors, and ergonomics. It informs how to integrate human factors and ergonomics design requirements into machinery construction, workplace and equipment design and human-system interaction in practice: https://www.safe-machines-at-work.org/human-factors

As the Section’s website is a communication tool and offers information for designers, manufacturers as well as users, we published the first practical examples from our member institutions:

  • The fact sheets on ergonomics in practice – published by BGN, Mannheim, Germany:
    Ergonomically designed workplaces contribute to keeping employees healthy, satisfied, and productive. Therefore, it is worthwhile to consider ergonomic aspects when designing workplaces.
  • The website of Suva, Lucerne, Switzerland, on physical stress and ergonomics focuses on preventing risks arising from physical stress in the workplace and offers practical recommendations for improving working conditions.

More information: use cases and practical examples: https://www.safe-machines-at-work.org/human-factors

Further examples will follow.

Ideas from the FEES members are welcome.

EU OSHA award to FEES

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The Federation of European Ergonomic Societies (FEES) has been awarded for its continued contribution and commitment towards the Healthy Workplace Campaign of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work.

The Healthy Workplaces Campaigns have been running since 2000, and several topics highlighted the importance of good ergonomic design as the best way for risk prevention, e.g.

  • 2000: Turn your back on musculoskeletal disorders
  • 2007: Lighten the load (Musculoskeletal disorders)
  • 2016 – 2017: Healthy Workplaces for All Ages

When the campaign partner scheme was installed, FEES decided to dedicate the European Month of Ergonomics to the Healthy Workplace Campaign. For ten years, we have been communicating campaign messages along with adequate ergonomics content every October.

Christa Sedlatschek, EU-OSHA Director, and Kasia Jurczak, Member of Cabinet of Commissioner Marianne Thyssenand, handled the Campaign Partner certificate and award to FEES, represented by Gyula Szabó, chair of the Communication and Promotion Committee, at the Exchange of good practices in OSH Healthy Workplaces Campaign Partner event, Brussels, 5 – 6 March 2019. 

Click on the link to read the full report of the Good Practice Exchange event 2019: Campaign partners share their thoughts on the Healthy Workplaces campaign, including a FEES interview.

Thanks to the commitment of individual ergonomicists around Europe, to the joint effort of national ergonomics societies and OSHA focal points, and to FEES’s partnership with EU OSHA, ergonomics is well represented in campaign activities. The regular EU-OSHA campaign partner meetings create further opportunities to represent ergonomics in the OSH community. 

We are ready to continue with the upcoming campaign to prevent musculoskeletal disorders.

CREE – FEES Memorandum of Understanding

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CREEWe would like to announce that the President of the Federation of European Ergonomist Societies (FEES), Sylvain Leduc, and the President of the Centre of Registration of European Ergonomist (CREE), Bernard Dugué have signed a Memorandum of Understanding.

CREEWe would like to announce that the President of the Federation of European Ergonomist Societies (FEES), Sylvain Leduc, and the President of the Centre of Registration of European Ergonomist (CREE), Bernard Dugué have signed a Memorandum of Understanding. This formalizes the unofficial collaboration that has developed over the last four or five years and recognizes that the aims of both organizations can be furthered by collaboration. There was also an election for the board members of CREE at a recent meeting in Louvain-la-Neuve in Belgium.

The CREE President, Bernard Dugué, and the Secretary General, David O’Neil, were re-elected for a further term. A new Treasurer was elected: Maria Niessen from The Netherlands. The position of Communication Officer was also filled, following a long vacancy: Beata Mrugalska from Poland. Maggie Graf remains in the ex-officio position of Development Officer for a further two years.

During the meeting, 18 new ergonomists were certified as Eur.Ergs. and 43 successfully renewed their certification. Among the renewals for certification were: Sylvain Leduc, the President of FEES, Bernard Dugué, the President of CREE and the President of the Latvian Ergonomics Society, Zenija Roja, and the President of the National Assessment Board of the Polish Ergonomics Society, Krzysztof Hankiewicz. FEES congratulates all of these people.

Full list of registered European ergonomist is available at the CREE directory.

IEA – FEES MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

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IEA

Sylvain Leduc president and Pascal Etienne secretary general attended the executive meeting of the International Ergonomics Association on 28th March, 2017 Florence.

IEA

Sylvain Leduc president and Pascal Etienne secretary general attended the executive meeting of the International Ergonomics Association on 28th March, 2017 Florence.

FFES Logo
Following a year discussion and several meetings, with the final amendments written down during the meeting the

Memorandum of Understanding on Collaboration Between the International Ergonomics Association (IEA) and the Federation of European Ergonomics Societies (FEES) Regarding Scientific, Technical and Professional Collaboration for the Development of Human Factors and Ergonomics in Europe
has been adopted and signed on Wednesday, 29th at 9 am.

This memorandum marks a milestone in the relation of these international organizations both showing the mission of FEES in the European region and the progress IEA is making Globally.

Thanks to the MoU between FEES and IEA ergonomics will earn

  • better information exchange in executive level,
  • valuable workshops at IEA 2018, e.g.

    • workshop on Regional Networks,
    • workshop on Ergonomist cooperation with stakeholders, 
    • a Student workshop,
  • improved visibility of IEA at European events,
  • even better Month of ergonomics.

IEA FEES MoU signingYushi Fujita, president of IEA signing the Memorandum of Understanding and Sylvain Leduc, president of FEES

IEA Elections 2015

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IEA

The Federation of European Ergonomics Societies  welcomes the new board of the International Ergonomics Association (IEA). We thank all the effort made by the outgoing presidency, especially Eric Min-Yang Wang past president.

The new board elected August 2015 is:

IEA

The Federation of European Ergonomics Societies  welcomes the new board of the International Ergonomics Association (IEA). We thank all the effort made by the outgoing presidency, especially Eric Min-Yang Wang past president.

The new board elected August 2015 is:

  • President, Yushi Fujita (Japan), (past vice-president and treasurer),
  • Vice President and Secretary General, Kathleen L. Mosier (USA),
  • Vice President and Treasurer, Jose Orlando Gomes (Brazil).

We are delighted that there are two officers from our region:

  • The Development and Promotion Standing Committee Chaired by Christina Jonsson, M.Sc. (Nordic Human Factors and Ergonomics Society) and
  • The Science, Technology & Practice Committee Chaired by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christopher M. Schlick (Gesellschaft für Arbeitswissenschaft)

Congratulations!

Memorandum of Understanding with European Safety Federation (ESF)

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ESF

Guiro Van Duren and Sylvain Leduc signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 18th November 2014.

European Safety Federation (ESF) and the Federation of the European Ergonomics Societies (FEES) agree on common goals that are:

  • To promote the ergonomic design and use of PPE,
  • To contribute to the feedback from the field on the quality and the real use of PPE,
  • To promote the training of different actors in this field,
  • To include a mutual link on the websites with a short description of the objectives of the partner,
  • To promote activities organised by the partner through their information channels.

Healthy Workplaces Campaign Official Partnership

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Federation of European Ergonomic Societies (FEES) is one of the 87 official partners of the EU-OSHA 2014-2015 Healthy Workplaces campaign. Healthy Workplaces Manage Stress

Healthy Workplaces campaigns are coordinated in more than 30 countries and are recognised as the

Federation of European Ergonomic Societies (FEES) is one of the 87 official partners of the EU-OSHA 2014-2015 Healthy Workplaces campaign. Healthy Workplaces Manage Stress

Healthy Workplaces campaigns are coordinated in more than 30 countries and are recognised as the biggest occupational safety and health (OSH) campaigns in the world. Stress, the topic of the 2014–15 campaign, is the second most frequently reported work-related health problem in Europe and is believed to be the cause of more than half of all lost working days. The campaign partners are aware of the positive effects that tackling psychosocial risks can have on overall business performance, particularly long-term sustainability and social responsibility, and will lead by example and encourage other organisations to manage stress.

Throughout 2014 and 2015 EU-OSHA is campaigning to raise awareness of the importance of managing stress and psychosocial risks in the workplace. Although tackling psychosocial risks and work-related stress may seem challenging, this campaign aims to demonstrate that they can be dealt with in the same logical and systematic way as any other occupational safety and health issue. With this in mind, the Healthy Workplaces Campaign 2014-15 has the following key objectives:

  • to raise awareness of the growing problem of work-related stress and psychosocial risks;
  • to provide and promote the use of simple, practical tools and guidance for managing psychosocial risks and stress in the workplace;
  • to highlight the positive effects of managing psychosocial risks and stress in the workplace, including the business case.

In the frame of the European Months of Ergonomics the Federation of European Ergonomic Societies (FEES) promotes the benefits of good workplace, work contents and work organisation designed with ergonomics approach.

Read more at EU-OSHA

FEES is a partner of ErgoMach

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Fabio Strambi represents the Federation of European Ergonomics Societies at ErgoMach.
Ergonomics is a human-centred discipline that focuses on the person(s) in the working situation(s), the interface between human beings and working systems, and the efficiency of the man-machine couple.

When a person becomes an operator of machinery or a working system, production systems and human beings are confronted at their interface. Specific challenges have to be solved at the junction of these two elements to prevent human well-being and capacity (etc.) from being altered and to maintain the performance of the production system. That is why ergonomics standards are proposed.

Today, there is evidence of a lack of communication between ergonomists and the rather pragmatically oriented group of machine designers/manufacturers. This often results in machinery being designed without benefitting from ergonomic principles.

This lack of communication also affects standards – the most important machinery design tool. Standards on ergonomic aspects in machinery design exist, but designers find them difficult to understand and apply correctly. To improve communication in all directions among the stakeholders involved in Ergonomics and Machinery design, it is planned that this website will offer a common platform for ergonomists, manufacturers, users, authorities, and standardization experts in the future.