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The Assessment Process

The IEHF strives to process applications for Registered Membership as quickly as possible. We appreciate the amount of effort it takes to complete your application and understand that you will want to know the result as soon as possible. Nonetheless, there are several stages through which your application must pass before a decision is reached. To help you understand the process, we have outlined the steps below.

  1. Your application is received in the Institute Office. It is checked for completeness and acknowledged.
  2. If they are not present with the application, requests for Referees' and Mentor's reports are sent out by email.
  3. Your referees and mentor reply to the Office (this can sometimes cause delay if any of them are slow to respond).
  4. When all the documents are present your application is passed to two members of the Assessment Panel of the Professional Affairs Board (PAB). The assessors are given guidance on how to conduct the assessment, and they report their recommendation on an assessment form.
  5. The assessors always endeavour to deal with applications quickly. However, they are volunteers and must do this in their own time, so occasional delays occur, especially if several applications arrive at once.
  6. At this point assessors may request that you submit additional information if there are any areas which need clarification.
  7. The assessors make a recommendation to the Professional Affairs Board for their consideration. PAB may occasionally ask for additional information from applicants, for instance, if the assessors did not unanimously recommend acceptance.
  8. If the PAB approves your application your name will be notified to Council, you will be issued with your certificate and you will be sent a letter confirming the decision. Your name will be published in the next edition of The Ergonomist with the list of new Fellows and Registered Members.
  9. If your application is rejected by PAB then you will be informed, and given guidance as to the areas in which it was felt that your application was lacking.

Checking progress

We will make every effort to keep you in touch with progress but you are also welcome to contact the Institute office at any time to check how your application is going. If you have any questions, please contact John Winter on 01509 234904, or by email applications@ergonomics.org.uk.

The Assessment

The assessors look at all the documents supplied and have to answer positively all the questions below:

  • Are the references adequate and supportive?
  • Does the mentor's report confirm that the candidate's mentored experience (1 year graduate members, 2 years other applicants)?
  • 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?
  • Does the log-book contain sufficient work to enable the assessment?
  • Has the candidate demonstrated sufficient professional development?
  • Are the candidate's reports sufficient to enable the assessment?
  • Has the candidate completed the necessary experience in ergonomics?(3 years graduate members, 4 years other applicants)
  • Does the candidate demonstrate sufficient knowledge of:
    1. Anatomy, anthropometry and physiology in human activities
    2. Environmental stressors (performance shaping factors)
    3. Socio-technical systems
    4. General & Organisational psychology
    5. Survey and Research Methods
  • Is the candidate's knowledge of ergonomics wide enough?
  • Is the candidate's experience of ergonomics wide enough?
  • Does the candidate demonstrate experience of integration?

If the assessors fail to satisfy themselves that adequate evidence has been provided on any of these questions, then either the applicant will be asked for further information, or they will recommend that the application be rejected.