Ergonomics emerged as a scientific discipline in the 1940s as a
consequence of the growing realisation that, as technical equipment
became increasingly complex, not all of the expected benefits would be
delivered if people were unable to understand and use the equipment to
its full potential.
Initially, these issues were most evident in the military sector where
high demands were placed on the physical and cognitive demands of the
human operator. As the technological achievements of World War 2 were
transferred to civilian applications, similar problems of disharmony
between people and equipment were encountered, resulting in poor user
performance and an increased risk of human error. The analysis of poor
performance, of what became known as man-machine systems (now
human-machine systems), provided a growing body of evidence which could
be linked to difficulties faced by the human operator. This stimulated
research by senior academic and military physiologists and psychologists
and led to further investigations of the interactions between people,
equipment and their environments. Although the early focus was on work
environments, the importance of ergonomics has become increasingly
recognised in many spheres, including the design of consumer products
such as cars and computers.
In 1949, at a meeting of distinguished
physiologists and psychologists at The Admiralty, the term ergonomics
was coined from the Greek roots (ergon and nomos). Later that year this
same body of scientists, together with some like-minded colleagues
formed the Ergonomics Research Society (ERS) which became the first such
professional body in the world.
In the following sixty-two years, the
ERS has evolved to represent the current discipline, both in the United
Kingdom and internationally. In 1977 the ERS became the Ergonomics
Society (ES) in recognition of the increasing focus on the professional
application and practice of ergonomics that stemmed from the
ever-increasing theoretical and research base. The ES became a
Registered Charity (number 292401) and a Company limited by guarantee
(Company number 1923559) in 1985.
As the discipline evolved, some
variations in terminology arose in different countries. In the USA the
term human factors took on the same meaning as ergonomics in the UK.
Although the two terms have been and remain synonymous to professionals,
popular usage has recently accorded different shades of meaning to the
terms. As a consequence, human factors may be considered to imply the
cognitive areas of the discipline (perception, memory etc) whereas
ergonomics may be used more specifically to refer to the physical
aspects (workplace layout, light, heat, noise etc). In 2009, following a
vote by the membership and approval from Companies House, the ES was
renamed the Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (IEHF) to reflect
the popular usage of both terms and to emphasise the breadth of the
discipline.
In 2014, the discipline’s importance was recognised officially by the
award of a Royal Charter to the Institute. This allows us to confer
Chartered status on those members who fulfil certain criteria. This
includes having a high level of qualification and experience and being
able to demonstrate continuing professional development. At the end of
2014, the Institute had 294 members who were eligible for Chartered
status, with many more about to become so. These are the first such
‘Chartered Ergonomists and Human Factors Specialists’ in the world. The
Charter and its accompanying governing documents were unanimously
accepted by the membership at an Extraordinary General Meeting in
November. The Institute changed its name once again, to the Chartered
Institute of Ergonomics & Human Factors.