The Ergonomics Society of South Africa (ESSA) presents a webinar under the theme: Seeing Work Differently - New Lenses for HF/E 

Date: 30 April 2026

Time: 11:00am-12:30pm (SAST)

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Presenter: Prof Andrew Thatcher

Presentation Title: The future of work: Implications and Changes to IEA strategies to Human Factors and Ergonomics

Abstract
In 2012 Dul and colleagues published a future strategy for E/HF. The strategy essentially had two related components: (1) strengthening the demand for high-quality E/HF and (2) strengthening the application of high-quality E/HF. In the first component, this should be achieved through communicating the value of high-quality E/HF to stakeholders, building partnerships with stakeholders, and educating stakeholders. The second component should be achieved through promoting high-quality education of E/HF specialists and high-quality certification systems for E/HF specialists. Dul and colleagues also called for the strategy to be reviewed after 10 years. It is now more than 10 years since this strategy was published and therefore a review (and possibly an update) of the strategy is therefore overdue. Globally, the state of E/HF is highly variable. In Asia and South America, E/HF is growing in leaps and bounds, whereas in Europe, North America, and Australia, the growth of E/HF is stagnating (at best) with numerous E/HF programmes being shuttered (in Europe, Australia, and the UK) at universities. There are application areas where the application of E/HF is robust (e.g., healthcare) and areas where the science is robust but the application is almost negligible (e.g., automated vehicles). Yet, the science of E/HF and the strategic value of E/HF in a world where technological innovation often outpaces our ability to efficiently use the technology has never been more important.  This talk will explore what can we take or discard from the Dul and colleagues’ strategic vision to maximise E/HF’s potential?

Presenter: Dr Steven Shorrock

Presentation Title: Whose Work Is It Anyway? Work-as-Done and Its Proxies

Abstract
Understanding and improving human work is relevant to most people in the world, and a number of professions are dedicated to improving human work. The trouble is, in any attempt to understand or intervene in the design and conduct of work, we can consider several kinds of ‘work’. We are not usually considering actual purposeful activity – work-as-done. Rather, we use ‘proxies’ for work-as-done as the basis for understanding and intervention. At a basic level, how people think that work is done (work-as-imagined) and how work is actually done (work-as-done) are two different things. But work-as-imagined is not the only proxy; there are others, each with implications for understanding and intervention. This talk will explore work-as-done and its proxies, reminding us that we need to understand the differences.

Important Information:

• Attendance is free for ESSA members.
• Non-members may attend at a fee of R150,00 (SAIOH and SAIOSH members qualify for a 10% discount).

We look forward to seeing you all at the webinar.