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OaSIS 2025 Version 1.0
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41400.01 – Ergonomists

Ergonomists or human factors specialists conduct research, prepare reports and provide consultation and advice on, and intervene in, the physical, social and psychological interrelationships between persons, their equipment and the environment.

Overview

Example job titles

  • Ergonomics specialist
  • Ergonomist

Core competencies

  • Critical Thinking, Decision Making and Problem Solving to analyze issues involving human behaviour, equipment design and environmental factors to identify underlying causes and propose solutions to improve working conditions and worker health
  • Evaluation and Systems Analysis to recognize the relationships among equipment, environment and people's motions to make visual comparisons and discriminations when examining working conditions
  • Problem Identification and Inductive Reasoning to identify issues with working environments and conditions to prevent them from escalating into more serious issues, such as injuries, illnesses or exposure to toxic chemicals
  • Verbal Ability and Speech Clarity to clearly explain complex concepts related to ergonomics, human factors and design principles to non-experts, including clients, management and colleagues
  • Attention to Detail to design effective ergonomic solutions, including precisely adjusting chairs for individuals, design workspace layouts or analyze air contaminants
  • Knowledge in Client Service to understand the specific needs and concerns of clients, safe equipment, body positioning and working environments to identify needs and tailor solutions to meet them

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Conduct research and advise on, and intervene in the physical, social and psychological interrelationships between persons, their equipment and working or living environments to ensure that the design, configuration and use of equipment, procedures and environmental conditions maximize safety, productivity and comfort.

Additional information

  • Progression to supervisory or managerial positions in these fields is possible with experience.

Similar occupations classified elsewhere

Exclusions:

  • Chemists (21101)
  • Geoscientists and oceanographers (21102)
  • Meteorologists and climatologists (21103)
  • Other professional occupations in physical sciences (21109)
  • Physicists and astronomers (21100)

O*NET in-it

This page includes information from the O*NET 27.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Employment and Social Development Canada has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.