Key points
Professional competencies
A checklist of professional competencies has been developed by CIEHF as a guide to expected competencies for qualification as an ergonomist and human factors specialist. It is already in use as an assessment tool for CIEHF accreditation of degree courses. It can be used in conjunction with a proficiency scale to show progress in breadth and depth of skills and expertise as your career progresses.
The checklist now forms part of the application for Registered Membership to help demonstrate breadth (through the number) and depth (through levels of proficiency) of claimed competencies. If you are planning to upgrade to Registered Membership, it might help you to complete the checklist as soon as you can. This will allow you to see any areas where you are particularly strong which might guide your log book entries or where you might need to fill any gaps. You will need to give evidence for your proficiency claims and examples of these could be log book entries, training courses or a publication.
Your log book
Your log book is a key part of your application as it demonstrates to
the assessors the ergonomics that you have undertaken over your minimum
period of work experience. Ideally you should start your log book as
soon as you start working professionally.
The following criteria must be met:
1. Your log book must contain separate records for between 10 and 20 projects.
2. The projects in the log book must be of sufficient significance to
demonstrate to the assessors your ergonomics input to the project.
3. They must demonstrate your development as an ergonomist over the qualifying period.
4. The total time spent on those projects must be a minimum of 100 days
for each year of qualifying experience (pro rata for part-time work).
5. The minimum period of mentored work in the log book should be 150 days (with an accredited degree) or 300 days (without).
Each record in your log book should comprise:
1. A brief summary, with detailed documentation in an appendix.
2. Discussion of the salient components of the human factors/ergonomics
involved. For example, provide a list of reports that you have produced,
the names of particular methods, tools and techniques that you used.
Include reference to conference proceedings or journal articles relating
to your log book entry.
3. Discussion of the salient personal and professional/technical skills involved.
4. An indication of your degree of responsibility, level of authority and description of your role in the project.
5. A critique of the successful and less successful features of each project.
To provide detailed information about some of the work in your log
book, you must submit examples of your project reports. You don’t have
to provide 1 from each of your log book entries, 3 or 4 will be enough.
The minimum number of supporting reports is 1 per year of minimum
qualifying experience claimed, for example non-mentored applicants with a
minimum of 6 years’ experience must supply a minimum of 6 supporting
reports.
Generally, a good guide would be 1 report from each year you were mentored, and 1 from each other year in the qualifying period.
Your mentor
Not all applications for Registered Membership have to include a
period of mentored supervision – you can apply without as long as you
have the minimum period of qualifying experience (see the Questions at
the bottom of this page).
Your mentor should have professional experience within your
particular area of work, so you should firstly look for a mentor from
within your own organisation. Note that your mentor cannot also be one
of your referees.
If you don’t know anyone who could be your mentor, you could attend a
Regional Group event in your area to meet more people locally, or go to
the CIEHF’s own Ergonomics & Human Factors conference where there
will be lots of people who might be able to help you. If you are really
struggling to find anyone, contact us and we will try to help you.
Your mentor should give you independent advice and guidance as a
qualified and experienced ergonomist/human factors expert on your
professional development. They should review your log book at least four
times per year. Ideally, this will involve the mentor and you meeting
at least twice per year, perhaps with other reviews taking place at a
distance. When you apply for Registered Membership, your mentor must
endorse your log book activities with a written report on work and
progress.
The mentor’s contribution to your application for Registered
Membership is vital. The assessors do not know you, so rely on the
evidence provided by you and your mentor to assess your eligibility for
membership. The assessors are looking for the mentor to have guided you,
and to report your progress and approach on the mentor report form and
to have ensured that you have adopted ‘an ergonomics approach’ in that
you think and work like a professional ergonomist.
Find out more about mentoring.
Chartered status
All successful Registered Member applicants will also be awarded Chartered status. Maintenance of Chartered status is dependent on suitable CPD activities being recorded each year. More instructions about CPD can be found on the application form.
Once you become a Registered Member with Chartered status, you will
be able to use the post-nominal C.ErgHF MCIEHF. You will also receive a
certificate indicating your new status.
Assessment of your application
Two suitably qualified members of the Institute’s Professional
Affairs Board (PAB) will assess your application. They might ask you to
submit additional information if there are any areas which need
clarification.
In order for your application to have the best chance of success,
make sure it contains enough information for the assessors to answer
positively all the following questions:
– Have you completed the necessary minimum time for professional experience?
– Have you demonstrated sufficient breadth and depth of knowledge?
– Do your log book and reports contain sufficient work to enable the assessment to be done?
– Does the mentor’s report confirm your mentored experience?
– Does the mentor’s report confirm acceptable levels of performance in
the use of ergonomic concepts and techniques and professional behaviour?
– Is the mentor’s report adequate and supportive?
– Have you demonstrated sufficient experience?
– Have you demonstrated sufficient professional development?
– Have you demonstrated an ergonomics approach to your work?
– Are your referees reports adequate and supportive?
During the assessment of your application, all assessors follow specific written guidance and complete a checklist to ensure they work consistently and we maintain an clear record of your application. You should read these too before you apply to understand what the assessors are looking for, how they do their assessment, and to give yourself the best chance of success.