Category: Knowledge domain

Human Factors and Ergonomics for Effective and Healthy Learning & Work Environment

Human Factors and Ergonomics for Effective and Healthy Learning & Work Environment

Gyula Szabo Leave a comment

FEES is pleased to highlight the ERASMUS+ BIP Week “Human Factors and Ergonomics for Effective and Healthy Learning & Work Environment”, organised at the University of Latvia in Riga.

The programme will take place in a blended format, with an online session on 12 June 2026 and an onsite week from 15 to 19 June 2026. It focuses on interdisciplinary teaching, applied practice, and international experience exchange in human factors and ergonomics.

The agenda covers contemporary topics such as workplace ethics, mental well-being and burnout, psychosocial risk assessment, indoor air quality and health, and human–AI team collaboration. The onsite programme also includes a practical company visit to Rīgas Satiksme, linking theoretical knowledge with real workplace applications.

This initiative is a good example of how ergonomists can use European support schemes to promote healthier, more effective, and more human-centred learning and work environments.

Further information: Kristine Kursite-Germane, University of Latvia — kristine.kursite-germane@lu.lv

Ergonomics 2026

Gyula Szabo Leave a comment

The Croatian Ergonomics Society (CrES) invites the international human factors and ergonomics community to participate in the 11th International Ergonomics Conference – Ergonomics 2026, to be held in Dubrovnik, Croatia, from 1–3 October 2026.

The conference will be hosted at the Centre for Advanced Academic Studies and will bring together researchers, professionals, and industry representatives from across Europe and beyond. The event provides a well-established platform for interdisciplinary exchange, focusing on current challenges and innovations in ergonomics, including occupational health, safety, cognitive and physical ergonomics, and sustainable work systems.

The Federation of European Ergonomics Societies (FEES) is pleased to endorse Ergonomics 2026 as a key European event in human factors and ergonomics. The conference reflects FEES’ commitment to strengthening collaboration, promoting scientific excellence, and supporting knowledge exchange across national societies.

FEES encourages its member societies, researchers, and practitioners to actively participate in the conference, contribute to the scientific programme, and build stronger professional connections within the European ergonomics community.

Why participate?

  • High-level international scientific exchange
  • Interdisciplinary perspectives on ergonomics and human factors
  • Opportunities for collaboration within FEES and beyond
  • Inspiring setting in one of Europe’s most historic coastal cities

👉 For detailed information, submission guidelines, and registration, please visit:
https://h-e-d.hr/conferences/ergonomics-2026/

Ergonomics for Mental Health at Work

Gyula Szabo Leave a comment

The Federation of European Ergonomics Societies (FEES) is pleased to confirm its intention to continue its role as an official campaign partner in the upcoming European workplace campaign coordinated by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA).

For many years, FEES and its member societies have actively supported European initiatives that promote safer, healthier and more sustainable workplaces. In the forthcoming campaign cycle, FEES would again like to contribute to raising awareness and strengthening the understanding of ergonomics across Europe. Our goal is to help a wide audience recognise how ergonomics – and the expertise of professional ergonomists – can support organisations, workers and decision-makers in addressing emerging workplace challenges and improving working conditions.

As in previous campaigns, FEES aims to support the dissemination of knowledge, share good practices and highlight the value that ergonomics brings to workplaces across sectors. These activities are closely aligned with broader European efforts to improve occupational safety and health and to promote a proactive approach to workplace wellbeing.

To make this initiative successful, we invite the ergonomics community to participate actively in the campaign activities coordinated through FEES. The engagement of ergonomists, researchers, practitioners and educators will be essential to demonstrate how ergonomics can contribute to practical solutions and measurable improvements in working environments.

We also encourage all national ergonomics societies to establish or strengthen their cooperation with the EU-OSHA National Focal Points operating in their respective countries. Close collaboration at national level is an important step toward ensuring that ergonomic expertise is well represented within the broader occupational safety and health community.

Finally, we would very much welcome the views of our members and colleagues.

  • What do you think should be the key messages that the ergonomics community should communicate during this campaign?
  • Where do you see the strongest contribution of ergonomics and the ergonomist profession in relation to the campaign’s objectives?

We invite you to share your ideas and suggestions with FEES so that together we can shape a meaningful and impactful contribution to the upcoming European campaign.

Human and Machine: Ergonomics at the Centre of the AI Transition

Gyula Szabo Leave a comment

The Federation of European Ergonomics Societies (FEES) actively contributes to the work of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) within the framework of the European Campaign “Safe and Healthy Work in the Digital Age”, which focuses on the occupational safety and health challenges arising from digitalisation and emerging technologies.

Within this framework, FEES participated in the official EU-OSHA campaign summit, where Gyula Szabó, PhD, Professor at Óbuda University, Hungary, and representative of the Federation of European Ergonomics Societies, delivered the presentation entitled “Human and Machine”.

The presentation was part of Parallel Session 3: “OSH as a driver of safe and healthy digital technologies for work”, chaired by Dietmar Elsler and Annick Starren, Senior Research Project Managers at EU-OSHA.
The session brought together experts from industry, research, and policy, including:

  • Regine Mägerlein, Head of Global Environment, Health and Safety, ZF Lifetec
  • Beatrice Aelterman, Head of Global Occupational Health and Safety, Boehringer Ingelheim
  • Moritz Schneider, Senior Specialist for AI and Software Architecture, German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV), and the Partnership for European Research in Occupational Safety and Health (PEROSH)
  • Gyula Szabó, PhD, Professor at Óbuda University and representative of the Federation of European Ergonomics Societies

The presentation addressed the profound changes brought by artificial intelligence in the field of digital occupational safety and health. AI is no longer merely a supporting technology. It introduces autonomous decision-making, learning systems, and continuous data-driven feedback into everyday work processes. These developments fundamentally reshape human–system interaction and raise new questions related to control, responsibility, trust, and well-being at work.

https://summit2025.healthy-workplaces.eu/videoteca/osh-as-a-driver-of-safe-and-healthy-digital-technologies-for-work

From an ergonomics and human factors perspective, artificial intelligence represents a new but logically connected application domain. The primary goal of ergonomics has always been to optimise the interaction between humans and systems. With the emergence of AI, this interaction becomes more complex, as cognitive load, transparency, predictability, and human oversight gain increasing importance. Consequently, ergonomics and human factors play a central role in the AI transition.

European regulation clearly reflects this approach. Key principles of the EU AI Act, such as human oversight, transparency, explainability, predictability, and safety, strongly overlap with long-established ergonomic and user-centred design principles. These requirements are not abstract legal concepts, but practical criteria that directly influence worker safety, mental health, and acceptance of AI-based systems.

The presentation also highlighted emerging psychosocial risks linked to AI-supported work. Continuous monitoring, automated evaluation, and blurred human–machine boundaries may increase mental strain, stress, and feelings of loss of control if not properly addressed. AI can improve efficiency only if it does not reduce quality of life or undermine human autonomy.

A central message of the session was that users must not be treated as passive recipients of AI solutions. Human-centred and human-in-the-loop approaches are essential. Workers need to be involved throughout the development and implementation cycle, from design to everyday use and continuous improvement. Clarity, acceptability, safety, and learnability remain key criteria for sustainable AI systems.

The AI transition is therefore not only about smarter machines, but about better human–machine cooperation. Ergonomics and human factors provide the conceptual and practical foundation to ensure that AI-based solutions support people, rather than replace or overload them.

FEES is proud to have been actively involved in the EU-OSHA campaigns since the establishment of the campaign partner network. We consider it a privilege that successive campaign themes consistently highlight different application domains of ergonomics. The previous campaign, “Lighten the Load”, addressed the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders and manual handling risks, representing a classical and well-established field of physical ergonomics.

The current campaign, focusing on digitalisation and artificial intelligence, clearly brings ergonomics and human factors into the foreground from a new perspective, emphasising cognitive, organisational, and psychosocial aspects of work. Looking ahead, we anticipate the launch of the next campaign, which is expected to address mental workload and knowledge-based work. This emerging focus will further strengthen the role of cognitive ergonomics and human reliability, areas where ergonomics and human factors can make a decisive contribution.

We look forward to continuing our active involvement in future EU-OSHA campaigns and to representing the ergonomic perspective across these evolving challenges of work.

Federation of European Ergonomics Societies within the Community of Practice on Industry 5.0

Aleksandar Zunjic

The Community of Practice on Industry 5.0 (CoP 5.0) is a European network of experts, researchers, and industrial stakeholders established by the European Commission. Its mission is to jointly develop, test, and disseminate the principles of Industry 5.0 by fostering collaboration, exchanging best practices, and supporting policy development that connects industry, society, and sustainable development. In 2024, the Federation of European Ergonomics Societies (FEES) became an official member of CoP 5.0.

FEES joined CoP 5.0 to actively promote the human-centric approach as a core element of Industry 5.0. Ergonomics is, by definition, a human-centric scientific discipline that focuses on the interaction among humans, machines, and the working environment. Human-centred design is a key area of ergonomics, and ergonomic principles play a critical role in shaping industrial systems that are aligned with human capabilities, limitations, and well-being.

From an ergonomic perspective, the contribution to Industry 5.0 can be highlighted through several key aspects:

Inclusion of human operators

Ergonomic principles emphasise integrating human factors into the design of equipment, technologies, and work processes. By considering human strengths and limitations, industrial systems can achieve higher levels of safety, efficiency, and usability, thereby contributing to more sustainable, operator-friendly solutions.

Utilisation of workplace expertise

FEES recognises the value of workers’ practical knowledge and experience. The human-centric approach of Industry 5.0 encourages employees to actively identify problems and co-develop solutions, ensuring that innovations are grounded in real working conditions.

Team involvement and participation

Ergonomics supports participatory approaches in which teams are directly involved in the design and optimisation of industrial systems. This participation improves the quality and relevance of solutions and strengthens workers’ sense of ownership and responsibility.

Balanced use of technology

While advanced technologies are essential, FEES emphasises their ethical and responsible integration. Ergonomics ensures that technology complements human work rather than overshadowing it, helping to prevent negative effects such as excessive workload, stress, or alienation.

Through its participation in CoP 5.0, FEES aims to ensure that ergonomic principles underpin the human-centric transformation of industrial systems, aligning technological development with human well-being, organisational productivity, and societal values. As a multidisciplinary scientific field, ergonomics also contributes to the development of resilient, sustainable industrial systems.

Within CoP 5.0, Prof. Aleksandar Žunjić, Secretary-General of FEES, together with Dr Sebastian Capotescu (ErgoWork Society of Romania), were selected by the European Commission as a member of the expert working group Business Case 5.0 for Sustainable Competitiveness. This group, in close cooperation with the Hubs 5.0 working group, supports the development and promotion of Industry 5.0 under the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission.

As an outcome of the work carried out within the Business Case 5.0 for Sustainable Competitiveness expert group, Aleksandar Žunjić and Sebastian Capotescu published four scientific papers in 2025 addressing the role of the human-centric approach and human factors in achieving the sustainability objectives of Industry 5.0:

  • Zunjic, A., Capotescu, S., Cuevas-Lopez-de-Baro, C., Cordea, C., Lukic, P. V. M. (2025). Contribution of the human-centric approach to environmental, social and economic sustainability. IETI Transactions on Engineering Research and Practice, Vol. 9, Issue 1, pp. 1–10.
  • Zunjic, A., Capotescu, S., Cuevas-Lopez-de-Baro, C., Cordea, C., Yue, X.-G. (2025). Contribution of the human-centric approach to technological, resource and innovation sustainability. IETI Transactions on Engineering Research and Practice, Vol. 9, Issue 1, pp. 11–22.
  • Zunjic, A., Capotescu, S., Cuevas-Lopez-de-Baro, C., Cordea, C., Yue, X.-G. (2025). Contribution of the human-centric approach to organizational, market, and health sustainability. IETI Transactions on Engineering Research and Practice, Vol. 9, Issue 1, pp. 23–34.
  • Capotescu, S., Zunjic, A., Cuevas-Lopez-de-Baro, C., Cordea, C. (2025). Human factor as central approach in a sustainable business model for Industry 5.0. IETI Transactions on Ergonomics and Safety, Vol. 9, Issue 1, pp. 22–45.

FEES Webinar Update

Gyula Szabo Leave a comment

FEES is pleased to share several upcoming and topical ergonomics and human factors webinars organised by international partners. These sessions highlight important developments in musculoskeletal disorder prevention, visual ergonomics, EU regulation, surgical ergonomics, and advanced human performance modelling.

IEA Webinars

WMSDs in High-Risk Occupations: Cross-National Insights from Manufacturing, Construction and Handicraft Industries in Asia

📅 20 November 2025
🔗 https://iea.cc/event/wmsds-in-high-risk-occupations-cross-national-insights-from-manufacturing-construction-and-handicraft-industries-in-asia/

A cross-national look at musculoskeletal disorder risks in high-risk occupations, examining exposure differences and effective prevention strategies across sectors.

Linking Practice and Science in Visual Ergonomics – Part II

📅 14 November 2025
🔗 https://iea.cc/event/linking-practice-and-science-in-visual-ergonomics-part-ii/

A focused session on advances in visual ergonomics and the integration of scientific evidence into practical workplace design.

ISSA Section Machine and System Safety – “Let’s talk about OSH – Have you ever…?”

📅 2 December 2025, 16:00–17:00 (CET)
🔗 https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_KR2sng43SuO3q8kDiKrfMA#/registration

This edition of the web talk focuses on the challenges that fatigue, monotony and distractions pose in everyday work. The discussion will explore how mental overload affects safety, why sustained attention is difficult to maintain, and what measures can help workers stay alert during demanding or repetitive tasks. The role of technology in preventing incidents related to reduced attention will also be addressed.

Speakers include Matthew Kwaw and Kay Schulte, with simultaneous interpretation available in English, French, German and Spanish.

HFES Webinars (USA)

HCTG, HFTH and SSE Joint Webinar: Connecting Human Factors/Ergonomics Theory with Applications in Health Care – Physical Ergonomics and Exoskeletons in Surgery

📅 21 November 2025 – 1:00 PM ET

This joint session (HCTG, HFTH, SSE) is part of an educational series bridging HF/E theory with practical applications in healthcare delivery.
Focus areas:

  • Foundational physical ergonomics theories and models
  • Ergonomics in surgical settings
  • Case studies on exoskeletons in surgery
  • Surgeon experience with exoskeleton use (Dr. Philip Haigh)

Speakers:
M. Susan Hallbeck (Mayo Clinic) · Jackie Cha (University of Wisconsin–Madison) · Philip Haigh (Kaiser Permanente)
Moderators: David Neyens · Brittany Anderson-Montoya

Human Performance Modeling Technical Group Webinar: Computational Models of Human Performance – An Algebraic Equation Approach

📅 15 January 2026 – 1:00 PM ET

A deep dive into algebraic equation–driven computational modelling of human performance, contrasting this approach with discrete-event cognitive simulation methods.
Topics include:

  • Attention models (SEEV, NSEEV, scan-clutter tradeoff)
  • Multiple resource theory
  • Task switching (STOM)
  • Models of human–automation interaction

Speaker:
Chris Wickens (Colorado State University)
Moderator: Ji-Eun Kim

New EU-OSHA report on musculoskeletal risks in the health and social care sector

Gyula Szabo Leave a comment

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) remain the most prevalent occupational health issue in the European health and social care sector, affecting millions of workers and contributing to absenteeism and reduced productivity. A new EU-OSHA report provides a comprehensive review of the main risk factors, including:

  • high workload and poor work organisation,
  • manual handling of patients,
  • repetitive movements and awkward postures,
  • inadequate ergonomic design and equipment,
  • lack of tailored training,
  • age-related challenges, and
  • psychosocial risks such as violence and harassment.

The report highlights that prevention requires ergonomic workplace design, participatory approaches, safe patient-handling programmes, targeted training, and organisational support. Special attention is needed for older, female, and migrant workers, who are disproportionately affected.

The publication also offers policy pointers to strengthen prevention, training, and support measures at workplace and EU level.

🔗 Read the summary here: EU-OSHA publication

Smart Digital Systems for All: Elevating Ergonomics & Human Factors in Inclusive OSH

Gyula Szabo Leave a comment

As one of the official partners of EU-OSHA’s Healthy Workplaces Campaign 2023-2025, the Federation of European Ergonomics Societies (FEES) applauds the latest EU-OSHA insight: “Smart digital systems for all: Supporting inclusion and diversity in workplace safety and health.”

Smart digital systems are not just about new technology — they are about inclusive design, usability, and human factors. According to EU-OSHA, these systems can be transformational in making workplaces safer, healthier, and more accessible, especially for older workers, migrant workers, pregnant workers, and others whose needs have often been overlooked.

From a human factors and ergonomics (E/HF) standpoint, these are the key contributions:

  • User-centred design: Smart wearables, sensors, and adaptive systems must respond to human variability – body size, mobility, cognitive load, language, and cultural background.
  • Reducing ergonomic risk: These systems can monitor posture, fatigue, and environmental stressors and help prevent musculoskeletal injuries.
  • Enhancing accessibility and diversity: When inclusivity is built in—considering older workers, pregnant staff, those with reduced mobility or sensory differences—the digital workplace becomes equitable.

But smart systems are effective only if implemented with respect to some human factors principles:

  • Worker involvement & acceptance: Involving workers and their representatives in design, deployment, and ongoing feedback builds trust, improves usability, and shapes systems that fit actual work practices.
  • Transparency and data ethics: Clear communication on data collection, storage, privacy, and how the system will be used ensures psychological safety and reduces resistance.
  • Complementarity to traditional OSH and ergonomics measures: These digital tools should augment—not replace—ergonomic workstation design, training, and organisational safety culture.

FEES encourages ergonomists, occupational health professionals, policy-makers, employers, and researchers to draw on EU-OSHA’s resources to guide inclusive implementations.

Together, we can ensure digital transformation in OSH reflects human factors and ergonomics values: promoting safety, well-being, inclusion, and dignity for every worker.

👉 Read more on EU-OSHA: Smart Digital Systems for All: Supporting inclusion and diversity in workplace safety and health. Healthy Workplaces

National Ergonomics Societies – Autumn Activities in Turkey and Poland

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The autumn of 2025 will be particularly rich in events organised by national ergonomics societies, offering opportunities for researchers, professionals, and students to share knowledge and strengthen collaboration.

31st National Ergonomics Congress – Turkey

The Turkish Ergonomics Society, together with Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University, Cappadocia University, Uşak University, and Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, is pleased to invite participants to the 31st National Ergonomics Congress. The congress will take place on 9–11 October 2025 at the NEVÜ Cultural and Congress Center in the Cappadocia region. The congress provides a national platform to discuss the latest research, applications, and innovations in ergonomics across diverse fields.
👉 More information

XXXII International Seminar of Ergonomics – Poland

For over 30 years, the International Seminar of Ergonomics has maintained a unique and intimate character, with fewer than 100 participants fostering direct exchange of experiences. The upcoming 32nd edition will take place in Poznań, hosted at the Faculty of Management Engineering of the Poznan University of Technology.

This year’s leading theme is “Ergonomics: Evolution of Challenges & Solutions”, with a broad spectrum of topics including:

  • Evolution of ergonomic methods
  • New challenges in ergonomics and Industry 4.0
  • Ergonomic design, product and process ergonomics
  • Ergonomics in occupational risk assessment and safety management
  • Medical sciences and cognitive ergonomics
  • Education, training, and new applications of ergonomics

👉 More information

💡 These events illustrate how national ergonomics societies continue to play a crucial role in developing the discipline, addressing new challenges, and fostering international cooperation.

Learning Opportunities in Ergonomics

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Upcoming Webinars

FEES is committed to supporting lifelong learning in ergonomics by sharing high-quality international opportunities for researchers, practitioners, and students. This autumn brings a rich selection of free webinars from leading organisations in occupational safety, health, and ergonomics.

📌 From Lab to Line: Practical OSH Strategies for Digital Manufacturing

The project group “Digital Manufacturing” of the ISSA Section Machine and System Safety has launched a new international webinar series focusing on the intersections of Occupational Safety and Health, Wellbeing, AI, Digitalisation, and Industrial Security.
Experts from around the world will present strategies and innovations shaping the future of safe and sustainable workplaces.

Upcoming sessions:

  • Sept. 3, 2025 – Balancing Tech and Wellbeing: Rethinking Work in the Digital Age – Dr. Keyao (Eden) Li, Edith Cowan University, Australia
  • Sept. 8, 2025 – Securing the Route: How Digital Technologies Safeguard Personnel in Cash Transport – Fabian Klein, DGUV, Germany
  • Sept. 25, 2025 – Testbed Smart Factory as a Platform for Industrial Safety R&D – Radim Hercik & Tomáš Jahn, University of Ostrava, Czech Republic
  • Oct. 6, 2025 – Common Security Advisory Framework (CSAF) for Developers – Matthias Weitz, DGUV, Germany

👉 Details and registration (free of charge)

📌 OHCOW October Webinar Series 2025

The Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW) are hosting their annual October Webinar Series, addressing key ergonomics and workplace health topics. These sessions provide practical knowledge for improving occupational health and preventing work-related disorders.

📌 IEA Webinar Series

The International Ergonomics Association (IEA) regularly offers global webinars that showcase cutting-edge research and applications across all areas of ergonomics and human factors. These events connect experts, students, and practitioners worldwide, supporting the advancement of ergonomics education and practice.

Featured Webinar: Informal Work in Latin America – Ergonomics Perspectives and Experiences from Brazil

As part of the IEA’s Informal Work Webinar Series, the next session is scheduled for 29 October 2025 at 16:00 UTC (13:00 Brazil, 09:00 US EST). Organised by the IEA Technical Committee on Informal Work in collaboration with the ICOH Working Group on “Demographic Changes, Inequalities and the Future of Decent Work”, and in partnership with the University of São Paulo and the Federal University of São Carlos, this 90-minute event will provide an overview of informal work practices in Brazil.

The session will particularly focus on how technological and organisational innovations impact working conditions and the broader dynamics of precariousness, while also exploring how informality reshapes the societal role of work. The webinar will be delivered in Brazilian Portuguese with English subtitles; live Q&A will be available in both languages with simultaneous translation.

👉 More information and registration: Informal Work in Latin America – Ergonomics Perspectives and Experiences from Brazil

💡 We warmly encourage you to explore these opportunities, join the discussions, and contribute to shaping safer, healthier, and more ergonomic workplaces.