FEDERATION OF THE EUROPEAN ERGONOMICS SOCIETIES (FEES)
FEES is the Federation of the European Ergonomics Societies. Its mission is to enhance the recognition of ergonomics contributing to economic development, to quality of life, to health and safety at work, and to social progress in European Countries.
The formal foundation of FEES took place in the context of the 48th Spring Conference of the Gesellschaft für Arbeitswissenschaft in Munich, on May 7th, 2003. It is a network of the ergonomics societies in the various countries in Europe according to the description by the International Ergonomics Association (IEA) of IEA Networks. Members are ergonomics societies, not individuals. All ergonomics societies in Europe can be a member of FEES - inside the European Union landscape, but also beyond.
The governing body is the FEES Council, consisting of representatives of the member societies. All major decisions are taken by the Council, which meets at least once a year. The day-to-day administration is performed by the FEES Executive Committee, which is supported by working groups for specific issues.
Objectives
Benefits to be FEES member:
to support the development of ergonomics in Europe
to influence the European Union (programs, legislation, etc.)
to develop interesting issues of mutual usage
to get reductions in expenses (registration costs, subscription costs (in the future)
to enhance mutual cooperation and coordination between the member societies
to create useful networks in the ergonomics world in Europe
to become informed about interesting EU facilities
to have access / entry to the ergonomics platform in Europe (e.g., the FEES website)
to influence other European organizations, of interest for ergonomics (e.g., European norms)
to learn about the experiences of other member societies elsewhere in Europe
to contribute to one ergonomics body, recognisable for the outside world
FEES supports - under the umbrella of the IEA - the development of ergonomics issues specifically related with the European region by:
enhancing mutual communication between various European ergonomics societies,
encouraging and facilitating contact and exchanges between ergonomists (educators, researchers and/or practitioners),
assisting in the organisation of European conferences about evolving ergonomics, in cooperation with the national societies.
Other objectives are concerned with
enabling the good establishment of ergonomics in EU policy and programmes,
assisting in the access to EU resources and facilities for ergonomics, and
stimulating networking in the widest sense for ergonomics.
Activities
FEES has initiated various activities, such as:
Establishing an European Task Force (EUTF), to promote ergonomics / human factors at the EU-organisation and its related bodies.
The dissemination of information about various facilities by the European Union for the FEES-members.
The preparation of this website, which is managed by a special working group, to facilitate cooperation and information-exchange between members and to communicate externally.
The organisation of FEES-sessions on actual European topics at the annual national conferences in the various countries.
Promoting European wide activities related with education, certification and accreditation in cooperation with the Centre for Registration of European Ergonomists (CREE).
The preparation and publication of promotional material, via the Communication and Promotion Committee.
BAEHF & FEES
Member of the Federation of European Ergonomics Societies
Bulgarian Association of Ergonomics and Human Factors
Active FEES membership
MEMBERS OF THE FEDERATION OF EUROPEAN ERGONOMICS SOCIETIES
Federated societies are national societies in ergonomics/human factors that have been admitted by the Council for having met and continuing to fulfill the eligibility criteria provided by the FEES Rules.
Members of Federation European Ergonomics Societies:
FEES & IEA
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.
FEES & EU OSHA
The Federation of European Ergonomic Societies (FEES) has been awarded for the 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
FEES decided to dedicate the European Month of Ergonomics to the Healthy Workplace Campaign right when the campaign partner scheme was installed. For ten years we have been communicating campaign messages along with the adequate ergonomics content in every October.
Christa Sedlatschek, EU-OSHA Director and Kasia Jurczak, Member of Cabinet of Commissioner Marianne Thyssenand handled over the Campaign Partner certificate and award to FEES represented by Gyula Szabó, chair of the Communication and promotion Committee, in 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 ergonomist around Europe, to the joint effort of national ergonomics societies and OSHA focal points and to FEES 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.