Human factors and ergonomics (HFE) professionals have experience and qualifications in HFE and come from various professional backgrounds, including health sciences such as psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nurses and physicians; and from design disciplines such as designers, engineers and architects. All focus on promoting effective design for people to perform well.

Certified Professional Ergonomists (CPEs) are HFE professionals who have extensive skills and experience and have passed proficiency assessments across the full range of HFE domains. CPE is the highest level of HFE professional award in Australia and it indicates demonstrated ability to provide high quality and consistent advice and support in HFE.

CPEs are now accredited by the HFE Professional Affairs Board which is an independent certifying body under the auspices of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of Australia (HFESA) which applies the competency standards of the International Ergonomics Association (IEA).

A Certified Professional Ergonomist provides strategic and practical advice related to the analysis of human performance of work, focusing on the interactions between people, the environment, tools, products, equipment, and technologies operating within a system. CPEs consider the physical, cognitive (thinking) and organisational design factors to promote human health, safety and wellbeing and overall individual and organisational performance.

Any client or employer of a CPE should expect professional behaviour, high quality work, timeliness, engagement with all stakeholders and the ability to guide decision makers through the process of achieving change.

• Analysis of human performance addressing interactions between people, their tasks, tools, work stations and work environment. Specific examples may include:
  • Physical ergonomics – size, build, biomechanics and physiological characteristics as they relate to physical activity, including working postures, materials handling, repetitive movements, work-related musculoskeletal disorders, workplace layout, physical safety and health
  • Cognitive ergonomics - mental processes, such as perception, memory, reasoning, and motor skills as they affect interactions with people and other parts of a system, including mental workload, decision making, skilled performance, human-computer interaction, human reliability, work stress, and training related to human-system design.
  • Organisational ergonomics– enhancing the performance of human-system interactions, including organisational structures, policies, and processes, to improve communication, team performance, work design, design of working times, workforce participation, new work arrangements, virtual organisations, telework, and quality management.
• Providing advice/action based on conceptual and technical knowledge supported by analysis of evidence, experience, and critical thought.
• Applying their knowledge and understanding of human behaviour to existing, new, and complex interactions and to the control or management of related risks.
• Developing and conducting training in optimising human performance and making systems improvements

The HFESA website lists all CPEs available for employment or contractual work.

All practising CPEs must have a broad understanding of the full scope of the discipline. That is, HFE promotes a holistic approach that ensures physical, cognitive, social, organisational, environmental and other relevant factors are considered during design of systems, work tasks, equipment, work stations and processes.

The Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) Professional Affairs Board (PAB) in Australia has recently adopted the International Ergonomics Association (IEA) HFE competencies as its benchmark.

To become a CPE, the applicant must have:

• Completed a tertiary education program that includes a comprehensive set of the required IEA’s HFE competencies.
• Expertise in HFE demonstrated through the provision of at least one major work sample, supported by one or more work samples or products of smaller magnitude.
• A minimum of four years of full-time practice in HFE or the part-time equivalent.

The applicant needs to provide a portfolio of works, evidence of degrees and transcripts, and two referee reports for the Professional Affairs Board to validate the application. The application is assessed by an assessment panel of CPEs who make a recommendation to the PAB.

A CPE must maintain their certification by:

• continuing to practice
• continuing to complete professional development
• follow the code of practice
• contribute to the development of the profession
• renew registration annually

You can find certified members via the  HFESA Find a Human Factors and Ergonomics Consultant Database.