In this webinar
Engineering decisions influence how people work, the physical demands they experience, and their risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). Human Factors and Ergonomics (HF/E) principles help engineers design safer and more effective workplaces, yet little is known about the extent to which these concepts are taught in engineering education.
This webinar presents findings from a CRE-MSD-funded study examining the inclusion of HF/E content across all accredited undergraduate engineering programs in Canada. Researchers analyzed descriptions from 12,442 engineering courses and assessed the extent to which HF/E concepts were represented. Results revealed that only 1.6% of engineering courses contained HF/E-related content, and fewer than one-third of engineering graduates receive explicit exposure to HF/E concepts during their education. Significant gaps were identified across several major engineering disciplines, including Mechanical, Civil, and Electrical Engineering.
Join us to explore what these results mean for educators, engineers, ergonomists, health and safety professionals, and others working to create safer and healthier systems of work. Participants will learn about the current state of HF/E education in Canada, the implications for human-centred design and MSD prevention, and opportunities to strengthen engineering education to better support worker health, safety, and wellbeing.
About the presenters
Dr. Patrick Neumann
Dr. W. Patrick Neumann, PhD, Eur.Erg., LEL, is the Director of the Human Factors Engineering Lab, a Professor at the Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), and a Fellow of the International Ergonomics Association (IEA).
Patrick's research now focuses on the design of work systems that are effective and sustainable from both human and technical perspectives. Areas of research interest include: human factors and firm strategy; industrial system design processes; organizational design and change management; simulation and virtual performance modelling; and performance and exposure measurement.
Dr. Nancy Black
Dr. Nancy Black is Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Full Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department of Université de Moncton in New Brunswick, Canada. She holds professional designations as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) and Canadian Certified Professional Ergonomist (CCPE).
Her primary research areas relate to understanding and limiting musculoskeletal disorder risk, particularly associated with dynamic workstations in computer-intensive work environments, as well as the presence of human factors and ergonomics teaching within undergraduate engineering programs.
Nancy is Vice-President Secretary General of the International Ergonomics Association (IEA) for the 2024-2027 term, and previously served as Chair of IEA’s Science Technology and Practice standing committee (2021-2024) and co-chair of the Technical Program of the IEA’s 2021 Triennial World Congress. In 2017, she was President of the Association of Canadian Ergonomists – Association canadienne d’ergonomie (ACE).
Registration
This is a free webinar. Please complete the registration form below to reserve your spot.
For assistance, please contact Betina Butler at bbutler@uwaterloo.ca.
Disclaimer: CRE-MSD receives funding through a grant provided by the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. The views expressed are those of the presenters and do not necessarily reflect those of the Centre nor of the Province of Ontario.