President’s Newsletter No. 8
December 28, 2010
Dear IEA Council Members:
As we finish this year and look forward to the next one, it is a good time to reflect
on our accomplishments, challenges, lessons and gifts. I am grateful for having somany talented and motivated people to work with in the IEA and our profession.
Your efforts to promote and advance ergonomics are truly laudable. Most of all,
we are fortunate to be able to do what we do for a living to improve human wellbeing and system effectiveness. It is a privilege for all of us.
This edition of the newsletter has clear examples of people and programs aroundthe world that are working to advance the profession and humankind. All of theseare opportunities for the rest of us. I hope you are as inspired as I am.
IEA2012 Call for Papers Now Open!
Marcelo Soares (IEA2012 Congress Chair), Karen Jacobs (Science Technologyand Practice Chair) and the IEA2012 Organizing Committee invited TechnicalCommittee Chairs and the worldwide ergonomic community in the Call for Papers
for our next IEA Congress. The call for submissions is now open! You canfind the information at www.iea2012.org
Deadline for paper submission(scientific research and technical case study paper)
Deadline to submit abstract(s)April 15, 2011
Notification of acceptanceJune 30, 2011
Deadline for full paper(s) submission August 31, 2011
Deadline for poster submission(scientific research and technical case study poster)
Deadline to submit poster(s)June 30, 2011
Notification of acceptanceAugust 31, 2011
Deadline for Special Sessions, Symposia and Company case studies
Deadline
June 30, 2011
Notification of acceptanceAugust 31, 2011
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All-Ukrainian Ergonomics
AssociationASEAN-ES
Asociación de Ergonomia
Argentina
Associação Brasileira deErgonomia
Asociación Ecuatoriana deErgonomia
Associação Portuguesa deErgonomia
Association of Canadian
Ergonomists•••••••••••

Belgian Ergonomics Society
Chilean Ergonomics Society
Chinese Ergonomics Society
Croatian Ergonomics Society
Czech Ergonomic Society
Ergonomics Society of Korea
Ergonomics Society of Nigeria
Ergonomics Society of Serbia
Ergonomics Society ofSingapore
Ergonomics Society of South
AfricaErgonomics Society of Taiwan

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Ergonomics Society ofThailand
FEES
Gesellschaft fürArbeitswissenschaft
Hellenic Ergonomics Society
Hong Kong Ergonomics
SocietyHuman Ergology Society
Human Factors andErgonomics Society (U.S.A.)
Hungarian Ergonomics Society
Indian Society of Ergonomics••••••••••

Inter-Regional Ergonomics
Association
Institute of Ergonomics andHuman Factors (U.K.)
Iranian Ergonomics Society
Irish Ergonomics Society
Israel Ergonomics Society
Japan Ergonomics Society
Latvijas Ergonomikas Biedriba
Nederlandse Vereniging VoorErgonomie
New Zealand Ergonomics
Society
Nordic Ergonomics Society

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Österreichische
Arbeitsgemeinschaft fürErgonomie
Perhimpunan Ergonomi
Indonesia
Philippines Ergonomics
Society
Polish Ergonomics Society
Slovak Ergonomics
AssociationSociedad Colombiana deErgonomia
Sociedad de Ergonomistas deMexico••••••••

Società Italiana di Ergonomia
Société d’Ergonomie deLangue Française
Société Tunisienned'Ergonomie
Spanish Association ofErgonomics
Swiss Ergonomics Society
The Human Factors andErgonomics Society ofAustralia
Turkish Ergonomics Society
ULAERGOThe IEA is registered as an association at the Commercial Register of Kanton Zurich, Switzerland: Company-Nr. CH020.6.001.285-4

2011 IEA/Liberty Mutual Medal Nominations
Nominations for the IEA/Liberty Mutual Medal in Occupational Safety and Ergonomics are now open. The
award recognizes outstanding original research leading to the reduction or mitigation of work-related injuries
and/or to the advancement of theory, understanding, and development of occupational safety research. This
medal comes with a $10,000 USD award and is the most coveted award in our profession. You can find moredetails at: http://www.iea.cc/05_awards/Current IEA Awards.html Nominations will close on May 31, 2011 andthe winner will be announced in September 2011. Contact David Caple if you have any questions.
davidcaple@pacific.net.au
Our Council discussion in Bruges uncovered several issues in promoting this award and we are institutingchanges for 2011. First, the criteria for research papers have been expanded to include published papers. We
will be working more closely with editors to get their nominations for articles published in prestigious journals.
Second, federated societies are encouraged to nominate their members. Third, we will be identifying ways topromote the winning papers through different venues, publications, and the website.
IEA Future of Ergonomics Committee
The IEA Governance Committee report that we heard in Bruges raised several important questions anddiscussions. As a direct result of this committee’s work, we have commissioned a special Future of Ergonomics
Committee (FEC) to examine the broader question about the future of our profession. This will be done underRalph Bruder’s Promotion and Development Standing Committee. The goal of FEC is to formulate a proposedstrategy (or some alternative strategies) for the ergonomics discipline in general and for the IEA in particular tosafeguard the success of ergonomics in the future. They have established an ambitious schedule and will reportback to Council at our meeting in South Africa and plan to have an IEA Position Paper on the “Future ofErgonomics” at IEA 2012 in Brazil.
This will be one of the most important strategic efforts. We have asked members first from our mature societies
to participate in an initial discussion and will expand this as we move further in the assessment process. Jan Dul(Chair, Netherlands) ably leads the FEC and the committee members include: Ralph Bruder (Germany), PeterBuckle (UK), Pascale Carayon (USA), Pierre Falzon (France), Bill Marras (USA), John Wilson (UK), and Bas
van der Doelen (Secretary, Netherlands). We are fortunate to have such a skilled group of willing professionals
to take on this task. Their ideas will serve as impetus for participation from all of us.
Lighthouse Project in Nicaragua
Barbara Silverstein has just returned from Nicaragua where they tested the ergonomic coffee bean harvestingbag. Kate Stewart, Stephen Bao, Steve Russell, and Barbara Silverstein from Washington State worked withharvest workers from two coffee co-ops to test the impact of an old versus a prototype bag on muscle load,
comfort, acceptance and productivity. The initial sense is that this is an improvement but all the data(questionnaire and electromyography) have yet to be analyzed. As with most participatory approaches, theworkers had lots of suggestions about how the bags could be improved further. This project is being sponsoredby the IEA, the special fund set up by the Japanese Ergonomics Society and 4C. Depending on results, 4C will
be in a position to spread the word throughout the region and IEA throughout the coffee producing world. A full••••••All-Ukrainian ErgonomicsAssociation
Asociación Española DeErgonomia
Asociación de Ergonomia
Argentina
Association of CanadianErgonomists
Belgian Ergonomics Society
Brazilian Ergonomics
Association•
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Chinese Ergonomics Society
Croatian Ergonomics Society
Czech ergonomic Society
Ergonomics Society (U.K.)
Ergonomics Society ofAustralia
Ergonomics Society of Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia
Ergonomics Society of Korea
Ergonomics Society of South
Africa

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Ergonomics Society of Taiwan
FEES
Gesellschaft fürArbeitswissenschaft
Hellenic Ergonomics Society
Hong Kong Ergonomics
Society
Human Factors andErgonomics Society (U.S.A.)
Hungarian Ergonomics Society
Italian Society of Ergonomics

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Inter-Regional Ergonomics
Association
Iranian Ergonomics Society
Irish Ergonomics SocietyIsraeli Ergonomics Society
Japan Ergonomics Society
Nederlandse Vereniging VoorErgonomie
New Zealand Ergonomics
Society
Nordic Ergonomic Society•
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Österreichischearbeitsgemeinschaft fürErgonomie
Polish Ergonomics Society
Associação Portuguesa deErgonomia
Slovak Ergonomics
Association
Sociedad Chilena deErgonomia
Sociedad Columbiana deErgonomia

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Sociedad de Ergonomistas deMexico
Società Italiana di Ergonomia
Société d’Ergonomie deLangue FrançaiseSouth East Asia Ergonomics
SocietySwiss Society for Ergonomics
Turkish Ergonomics Society
ULAERGOThe IEA is registered as an association at the Commercial Register of Kanton Zurich, Switzerland: Company-Nr. CH020.6.001.285-4

report will be forthcoming after Barbara and Kate recover from their trip. We will learn about it at our next
Council meeting.
PPCOE in Kaohsiung, Taiwan
The 9th Pan-Pacific Conference on Ergonomics was held from November 7-10 in Taiwan. This marks the 20thanniversary year for a group of leaders with a clear vision and an appreciation for regional research inergonomic issues. Congratulations to Conference Chairs Chiuhsiang Joe Lin and Eric Min-yang Wang andHonorary Chair Masaharu Kumashiro for a successful conference. Together, with the Ergonomics Society ofTaiwan and the Pan-Pacific Council on Ergonomics, they put on a great event. I was lucky enough to attend theconference and witness the celebration of this landmark year. I am grateful for receiving Professor Rungtai
Lin’s award-winning Eternity Cup, which was a subject of his keynote address, as a gift from this event.
The conference theme – Ergonomics for All – coincides with an important milestone in the evolution of thissociety. The focus of the conference shifted from occupational ergonomics (Pan-Pacific Conference onOccupational Ergonomics) to a more global theme (Pan-Pacific Conference on Ergonomics). While theacronym (PPCOE) remains the same, the pervasive influence of ergonomics in everyday life is reflected in thissubtle, but important change. Congratulations for bringing together ergonomists from around the world to sharein these advances and fusing the work in the pan-pacific region with the rest of the world.

Organizers, some special guests, keynote speakers of the 9th Pan‐Pacific Conference onErgonomics held in Kaohsiung, Taiwan: After opening ceremony
Back (Left to right): Dyi-Yih Michael Lin, Yung-Hui Terrence Lee, Andrew S. Imada, Bernard C. Jiang, Kamiel
Vanwonterghem, Cheng-Pin Chang. Front (Left to right): Kwan Suk Lee, Chiuhsiang Joe Lin, Masaharu
Kumashiro, Zinta Podniece, Chi-Yuang Yu, Jung-Yong Kim, Eric Min-yang Wang••••••All-Ukrainian ErgonomicsAssociation
Asociación Española DeErgonomia
Asociación de Ergonomia
Argentina
Association of Canadian
Ergonomists
Belgian Ergonomics Society
Brazilian Ergonomics
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Chinese Ergonomics Society
Croatian Ergonomics Society
Czech ergonomic Society
Ergonomics Society (U.K.)
Ergonomics Society ofAustralia
Ergonomics Society of Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia
Ergonomics Society of Korea
Ergonomics Society of SouthAfrica

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Ergonomics Society of Taiwan
FEES
Gesellschaft fürArbeitswissenschaft
Hellenic Ergonomics Society
Hong Kong Ergonomics
Society
Human Factors andErgonomics Society (U.S.A.)
Hungarian Ergonomics Society
Italian Society of Ergonomics

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Inter-Regional Ergonomics
AssociationIranian Ergonomics Society
Irish Ergonomics Society
Israeli Ergonomics Society
Japan Ergonomics Society
Nederlandse Vereniging VoorErgonomie
New Zealand Ergonomics
SocietyNordic Ergonomic Society•
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Österreichischearbeitsgemeinschaft fürErgonomie
Polish Ergonomics Society
Associação Portuguesa deErgonomia
Slovak Ergonomics
Association
Sociedad Chilena deErgonomia
Sociedad Columbiana deErgonomia

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Sociedad de Ergonomistas de
MexicoSocietà Italiana di Ergonomia
Société d’Ergonomie deLangue FrançaiseSouth East Asia ErgonomicsSociety
Swiss Society for Ergonomics
Turkish Ergonomics Society
ULAERGOThe IEA is registered as an association at the Commercial Register of Kanton Zurich, Switzerland: Company-Nr. CH020.6.001.285-4

Ergonomics Society of Nigeria Workshop
Samson Adaramola, President of the ESN, reported on the success of the 2nd Annual Ergonomics National
Strategic Workshop in Port Harcourt, Nigeria 9-10 December. The theme of the workshop – ergonomic
solutions to workplace challenges in Nigeria – was well received by the 36 attendees. Twenty-two of thoseattending are new inductees to the ESN. In addition to creating an awareness of ergonomics and its potentialcontribution to Nigerian economic development, the workshop called for legislation and national policies onergonomics, provisions for the physically challenged, and ergonomic criteria for goods imported into thecountry. To advance ergonomics professionalism and improve productivity and quality, the workshop addressed
the need for criteria for determining National Productivity Order Merit Awards for the country. The event wascovered in a local newspaper in Port Harcourt. Though we tried, we were unable to send an IEA representative
to this landmark event. I did, however, send a video greeting and congratulations to the participants of theworkshop. Congratulations to the Ergonomics Society of Nigeria on a successful event!
First SEANES Conference
The Southeast Asian Network of Ergonomics Societies (SEANES) and the Philippine Ergonomics Society(PHILERGO) hosted the first SEANES conference on December 14 – 17 in Cebu City, Philippines. The themeof the conference – linking ergonomics and organizational strategy – was appropriate for the economic andcontemporary issues facing many of the countries in the region. I was impressed how rapidly industrial
development was spreading through the region and how these developments accelerated the need forergonomics in improving human well-being and system performance. Many of the papers presented at themeeting address problems in a way that is relevant to the social context. For example, the strong emphasis fordesigning public spaces for the elderly was an important variable; one that has much more meaning in aregional context and is highly relevant to system success. Congratulations to Rose Seva, SEANES President,and conference Co-chairs Alma Maria Jenifer Gutierrez and Aura Matias, both from the Philippine Ergonomics
Society, for a successful and delightful conference. It was a great pleasure to be with you and witness the first
SEANES conference. It was a lot of work and their pioneering spirit led to the success.
At the council meeting, it was decided that the 2nd SEANES Conference will be held in Langkawi, Malaysia,November 14-17 2011. The theme of the conference is Ergonomics: Connecting People and Innovations forSustainability. Halimahtun Khalid, the new SEANES President, will be organizing this conference and has
already begun forming the International Scientific Committee. This promises to be another successful event.
New Journal
SH@W is a new journal developed in Korea under the leadership of their Occupational Health and Safety
Research Institute. Director General Seong-Kyu Kang has been interested in promoting ergonomics in thejournal. Past Resident David Caple, Laura Punnett (USA) and Hee Sok Park (Korea) represent ergonomics on
the journal’s editorial board. You can find out more about the journal by contacting them at shaw@e-shaw.org
Next Council Meeting in South Africa
Our next IEA Council meeting is coming up soon in Grahamstown, South Africa on April 2 and 3. This Council
meeting will be held in conjunction with and hosted by the 10th International Symposium on Human Factors in••••••

All-Ukrainian Ergonomics
Association
Asociación Española DeErgonomia
Asociación de Ergonomia
Argentina
Association of Canadian
Ergonomists
Belgian Ergonomics Society
Brazilian Ergonomics
Association•
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Chinese Ergonomics Society
Croatian Ergonomics Society
Czech ergonomic Society
Ergonomics Society (U.K.)
Ergonomics Society ofAustralia
Ergonomics Society of Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia
Ergonomics Society of Korea
Ergonomics Society of SouthAfrica••
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Ergonomics Society of Taiwan
FEESGesellschaft fürArbeitswissenschaft
Hellenic Ergonomics Society
Hong Kong Ergonomics
Society
Human Factors andErgonomics Society (U.S.A.)
Hungarian Ergonomics Society
Italian Society of Ergonomics

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Inter-Regional Ergonomics
Association
Iranian Ergonomics Society
Irish Ergonomics Society
Israeli Ergonomics Society
Japan Ergonomics Society
Nederlandse Vereniging VoorErgonomie
New Zealand Ergonomics
Society
Nordic Ergonomic Society••••••Österreichischearbeitsgemeinschaft fürErgonomie
Polish Ergonomics SocietyAssociação Portuguesa deErgonomia
Slovak Ergonomics
AssociationSociedad Chilena deErgonomia
Sociedad Columbiana deErgonomia

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Sociedad de Ergonomistas deMexico
Società Italiana di Ergonomia
Société d’Ergonomie deLangue FrançaiseSouth East Asia Ergonomics
SocietySwiss Society for Ergonomics
Turkish Ergonomics Society
ULAERGOThe IEA is registered as an association at the Commercial Register of Kanton Zurich, Switzerland: Company-Nr. CH020.6.001.285-4

Organisational Design and Management (ODAM) April 4-6. To get more information and register go to:
http://www.ODAM2011.net. This event brings together experts from around the world who share amacroergonomic approach to addressing problems and is always provocative and practical.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, it has been a busy end of the year with many people doing great work to promote ergonomics
around the world. It is always impressive to see the work that people put forth for our profession. It gives me
great pleasure to be part of this organization and this profession.
Best wishes for a healthy and productive 2011!
Sincerely,

Andrew S. ImadaPresident••••••

All-Ukrainian Ergonomics
Association
Asociación Española DeErgonomia
Asociación de Ergonomia
Argentina
Association of Canadian
Ergonomists
Belgian Ergonomics Society
Brazilian ErgonomicsAssociation•
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Chinese Ergonomics Society
Croatian Ergonomics Society
Czech ergonomic Society
Ergonomics Society (U.K.)
Ergonomics Society ofAustralia
Ergonomics Society of Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia
Ergonomics Society of Korea
Ergonomics Society of SouthAfrica

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Ergonomics Society of Taiwan
FEES
Gesellschaft fürArbeitswissenschaft
Hellenic Ergonomics Society
Hong Kong Ergonomics
Society
Human Factors andErgonomics Society (U.S.A.)
Hungarian Ergonomics Society
Italian Society of Ergonomics

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Inter-Regional Ergonomics
AssociationIranian Ergonomics Society
Irish Ergonomics Society
Israeli Ergonomics Society
Japan Ergonomics Society
Nederlandse Vereniging VoorErgonomie
New Zealand Ergonomics
SocietyNordic Ergonomic Society•
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Österreichischearbeitsgemeinschaft fürErgonomie
Polish Ergonomics Society
Associação Portuguesa deErgonomia
Slovak Ergonomics
Association
Sociedad Chilena deErgonomia
Sociedad Columbiana deErgonomia

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Sociedad de Ergonomistas de
MexicoSocietà Italiana di Ergonomia
Société d’Ergonomie deLangue FrançaiseSouth East Asia ErgonomicsSociety
Swiss Society for Ergonomics
Turkish Ergonomics Society
ULAERGOThe IEA is registered as an association at the Commercial Register of Kanton Zurich, Switzerland: Company-Nr. CH020.6.001.285-4