English
About
the GfAThe GfA wants to contribute to the dissemination of these contents not only among its members, but for as many people as possible.
It will then be necessary to integrate ergonomic knowledge into the education of all those who need these contents either directly (f. e. production and product design, work organization and organization development, labor protection and work design, personnel development and in the significant fields of labor policy) or indirectly (f. e. education/training, investment planning, purchase, human resources departments or management functions). Apart from that, ergonomic knowledge and matters of concern should be imparted by schools of all-round-education, but particularly by vocational schools
The GfA supports the transfer of ergonomic knowledge by the organization of appropriate ‘"platforms" (f. e. congresses, workshops, publications, clearing houses, f. e. for consultation, job fairs).
GfA
Report of Activities 2007 - 2009
Mission of the GfA
In 1998/99 the „Gesellschaft für Arbeitswissenschaft" has
critically and intensively examined its Mission and the reaction to changed
basic conditions. The results of the broad discussion among the members
are summarized in the following text:
The „Gesellschaft für Arbeitswissenschaft e. V." wants to achieve
a relevant contribution to the design of living and working conditions
by promoting interdisciplinary and holistic research and design concepts.
The analysis, evaluation and design of human work as well as the design
of products, services, systems and environments, which are suitable for
human beings, require the knowledge of different scientific and practice
oriented disciplines.
These include among others work organization and occupational psychology,
occupational medicine, work physiology, industrial sociology, labor policy,
vocational education and engineering sciences, economics and jurisprudence.
The
GfA integrates this knowledge with a scientific basis. That means the
uniqueness of Ergonomics/Human Factors - and therewith also the GfA itself
- results from the linking of the individual disciplines („work (related)
sciences") for a holistic point of view.
In this context „holistic" does not only mean the integration of
individual disciplines, but also the compatibility of different goals
taking into account human and economic objectives, which are of particular
importance.
Work is considered human if it is suitable for people and can be done
in a human way and is not meant neither to have a negative effect on physical
and psychological health nor a lasting and disturbing effect on the human
well-being. It should correspond to needs and qualifications and enable
an individual and/or collective influence on work. Finally, the development
of personality by work according to the realization of potentials and
promotion of competences has to be pursued.
Assessing the economic efficiency, one has to consider that solutions
might be „efficient" at the level of an individual organization,
but might turn out to be „inefficient" at an economic or social level.
All these assessment levels should therefore be taken into account.
The specific task of GfA consists in the promotion of scientific and professional
interests of Ergonomics/Human Factors. For that reason GfA fosters the
contact with those who are interested in Ergonomics within the German-speaking
area as well as at an international level. GfA sees itself especially
as an active forum for the dialogue between science and practice and all
interested social groups.
The „Gesellschaft für Arbeitswissenschaft" develops and guarantees
professional standards (f. e. by participating in standardization or as
German partner for the certification as an Euro-Ergonomist, but also by
assessment procedures for journal and congress contributions). As far
as possible and required, it represents the interests of its members in
the professional field.
The Fundamental Principles of Realization are:
The (working) society is subject to continuous change, which requires
an appropriate development of Ergonomics/Human Factors. In that case goal
conflicts and tensions will occur and be accepted as normal.
Ergonomic research and design is always aware of the uniqueness of a human
being.
Ergonomic acting aims at a prevented design of work, technique and organization,
which is oriented towards human and economic criteria.
Ergonomic solutions are subject to a concept, which is useful to all stakeholders
(for example employees, management, shareholders, society).
The
persons concerned by analysis, evaluation and design will be - wherever
possible - involved in these processes.
Ergonomics/Human Factors also deals with analysis, evaluation and design
of non gainful employments (f. e. housework, voluntary work, community
work, etc.)
The „Gesellschaft für Arbeitswissenschaft" resp. its members feel
obliged to the social goal and make contributions - wherever possible
- to the maintenance, creation and (appropriate) distribution of human,
economically and environmentally compatible work.
Target group of the GfA are all „ergonomically acting or interested people".
On the one hand those take on ergonomic tasks in practice, such as analysis,
evaluation and design of work, on the other hand they can also be involved
in the design of products and processes. Finally, all who take responsibility
for the realization (f. e. managers) have to be included.
Ergonomic knowledge will be acquired and disseminated by universities
resp. high schools and application-oriented research institutes as well
as completed and realized by the ergonomists within the organization.
Even in associations, government institutions and self-help organizations
employees are working in the field of Ergonomics/Human Factors. The target
group of the GfA is accordingly broad. The central points of the content
are:
- occupational safety and health protection
- product design
- work and organization design
- organization development and labor policy
Starting from the fact that every person will be confronted with various forms of work in the course of his/her life and has to deal with the results of work (according to products and services) every day, the broad spectrum of ergonomic topics will then become clear.