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Applied Ergonomics 37 (2006) 555–561

www.elsevier.com/locate/apergo

Ergonomics in Latin America: Background, trends and challenges

Marcelo M. Soares
ABERGO—Brazilian Association of Ergonomics, Federal University of Pernambuco, Department of Design, Centro de Artes e Comunicac- ão, Cidade
Universitária, 50.670-420 Recife – PE, Brazil

Abstract

This paper offers an introduction to ergonomics in Latin America through a brief overview of ergonomics practice in Argentina,
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico ,and Peru. It provides a short description of the history of ergonomics in each country, ergonomics
teaching, its organisation through the ergonomics associations, and some highlights of the areas of interest, and examples of ergonomics
practice.
r 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: History of ergonomics; Ergonomics education; Ergonomics development

1. Introduction to a group of people and companies since its beginning.

In Latin America, ergonomics took its first steps in
Brazil in the 1960s. Since then, there has been progressive
development in the region. At present, there are various
companies and research institutions that operate in several
Latin American countries. The number of Latin American
ergonomists at international conferences promoted by IEA
has been growing considerably, and the number of studies
reflects the current status of ergonomics in each country.
This paper offers a brief overview of ergonomics in
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. It
includes a short description of the history of ergonomics in
each country, the training of ergonomists, ergonomics
teaching, areas of interest of ergonomists, and the
professional practice of ergonomics. Thus, this paper aims
to contribute to record keeping of the evolution of
ergonomics in Latin America, and to assist with the
development of policies towards cooperation, ergonomics
development, and mutual support among the several
associations of ergonomics.
2. Ergonomics in Argentina
According to Poy et al. (2006), the development of
ergonomics in Argentina has been problematic and limited
E-mail address: marcelo2@nlink.com.br.
The theme of improvement of the quality of life in the
workplace has been neglected due to issues such as
industrial reconversion processes, privatisation, and infla-
tion control (Hiba, 1991). As observed by Poy et al. (2006),
there is a renewed interest in ergonomics and, in particular,
the analysis of work activities. The author also highlights
that, although there is a strong interest in ergonomics
within the educational institutions, ergonomics has not yet
been institutionalised in this country.
The development of ergonomics in Argentina can be
described in four periods:
2.1. The first period (1950–1960)
In this period, the Argentine Ergonomics Society was
created to carry out investigations and teaching related to
human work. This society organised congresses and
published a newsletter about ergonomics, but became
dormant in 1975. The interest in this period was focused on
the health of workers and the physiological aspects of
human work.
2.2. The second period (1970s)
In this period, interest was focused initially on anthro-
pometrics and human–machine interactions. Manufactur-
ing companies such as Philips and companies in the

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doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2006.04.014
 ARTICLE IN PRESS
556 M.M. Soares / Applied Ergonomics 37 (2006) 555–561
automotive sector took an interest in the theme of
ergonomics, but the ergonomic changes, based on ‘com-
mon sense’, were initiatives by their engineers and were
kept within the companies, did not reach a wider audience.
Another aspect of the 1970s was the setting up of various
laboratories at universities such as those at the Universities
of Rosario, La Plata, Cuyo, and Cordoba.
2.3. The third period (1980s and 1990s)
Two aspects indicated the state of ergonomics in
Argentina in the 1980s: the National Meetings of
Ergonomics Laboratories (RELAERGO), which were held
every four years until 1995; and the agreements for
scientific cooperation between Argentina and Germany,
and between Argentina and France. Such agreements
allowed Argentine engineers and doctors to graduate in
Germany and in France, and French ergonomists, e.g.
Wisner, Laville, Queinnec, Dessors, and Jaillet, to come to
Argentina, invited by CEIL-CONICET. Thus, with the
assistance of these researchers, the factors related to the
organisation of work, and the assignment of activities was
introduced into Argentina for the first time. In 1990s, at the
request of the telephone company workers’ union, an
ergonomics study was carried out to analyse the impact of
information technology processes on the health of opera-
tors. On this occasion, some ergonomists who had
graduated in France joined the research group. According
to Poy et al. (2006), this was the first time that the
ergonomics analysis of work activity was carried out
systematically in Argentina.
2.4. The fourth period (the present time)
On 30 July 2002, the Argentine Ergonomics Association
(ADEA)—www.adeargentina.org.ar—was re-established.
In the year following its foundation, ADEA was recognised
as affiliated to IEA. Since its foundation, ADEA has
offered two conferences, Latin American Ergonomics
Seminars, and hosted a meeting of ULAERGO (The Latin
America Ergonomics Union). ADEA also has links with
the Ministry of Health of the Nation and the Super-
intendence of Workplace Risks.
At present, the work of ergonomists in Argentina is
found mainly in the universities, companies of various
industrial sectors such as Peugeot, Fenix, Volkswaguen,
Ford, Arcor, Kraft, Petrobras, Food, and workplace risk
insurance companies.
In Argentina, ergonomics teaching is currently offered
on two postgraduate courses, of 500 h each, at the Siglo
XXI National University, in Cordoba,and at IRAM, in
Buenos Aires. Furthermore, the subject of ergonomics is
taught (i) on the graduate courses in industrial design,
industrial engineering, kinesiology, physiology, and
psychology and (ii) on the postgraduate courses (masters
and doctorate levels) in Occupational Medicine, Hygiene
and Workplace Safety, Social Science of Work, and
Kinesiology.
An example of developments in the ergonomics science
in Argentina is the study carried out by Neffa et al. (2005)
on the impact of corporate teletraining on workers’ health.
Finally, the growing number of agreements for coopera-
tion and exchange with scientific-academic institutions, at
both the regional and international levels, result in
exchange of experience, translation of publications, parti-
cipation at congresses and seminars. Such activities
contribute to the development of ergonomics in this
country.
3. Ergonomics in Brazil
The dissemination of ergonomics in Brazil has been
established, according to Moraes and Soares (1989),
through six main episodes.
The first episode took place in the 1960s, in the
Polytechnic School at the University of São Paulo, with
the introduction of studies related to ergonomics on the
Manufacturing Engineering course. The experience was
replicated at other manufacturing engineering schools
across the country. During this period, the company
GAPP (Associate Group for Research and Planning) was
founded and started to offer consultancy services in
ergonomics to various Brazilian companies, such as
Companhia Siderurgica Nacional and the METRO in Sao
Paulo.
The second episode took place at the beginning of the
1970s, at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, with the
introduction of ergonomics teaching into the postgraduate
course of Manufacturing Engineering. Thus, this institu-
tion became a centre for dissemination of ergonomics
knowledge, producing several dissertations and theses on
the theme. In 1978, the first book on ergonomics written by
a Brazilian author was published, Ergonomia: notas de
classe (Ergonomics: class notes), by Professor Itiro Iida.
In 1971, the first doctorate thesis in ergonomics was
defended in Brazil, at the University of São Paulo. The
thesis, by Professor Itiro Iida, was entitled A ergonomia do
manejo (‘The ergonomics of handling’).
The third episode was located at the College of Industrial
Design, at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, with the
introduction of ergonomics teaching, in 1976, into the
industrial design course, according to the model of the Ülm
School in Germany. Following this experience, ergonomics
became a compulsory subject into industrial design courses
across the country. The role of ergonomics in the
development of projects in industrial design and its
inclusion in the curriculum of industrial design courses
explains the great number of designers who are members of
ABERGO (Brazilian Association of Ergonomics). Inter-
estingly, this joining of ergonomics and design (?) takes
place only in Brazil. It is important to mention that this
distinctive feature marked the emphasis of Brazilian
ergonomics on ergonomic design. It was only in the last
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M.M. Soares / Applied Ergonomics 37 (2006) 555–561
decades that the international literature recognised the
relationship designated ‘ergonomics and design’.
The fourth episode was identified through studies related
to ergonomic psychology, with emphasis on visual percep-
tion concepts applied to the study of traffic, training of
drivers, and studies on motorway accidents at the
University of Sao Paulo, campus of Ribeirão Preto.
The fifth episode took place at the Higher Institute of
Studies and Psychosocial Research of Getúlio Vargas
Foundation, in Rio de Janeiro. In 1974, this Institute
organised the 1st Brazilian Ergonomics Seminar, a hall-
mark in the history of Brazilian ergonomics, and in 1975
implemented the first Specialisation Course in Ergonomics
in Brazil. This course was taken by several ergonomists,
who are currently teaching in various courses and working
on the establishment of ergonomics groups within compa-
nies and academia.
The sixth episode was marked, still in the 1970s, by the
visit of Professor Alain Wisner from the Conservatoire
National des Arts et Métiers in France. Professor Wisner
became a great supporter of Brazilian ergonomics and was
responsible for the education, at postgraduate level, of
various Brazilian researchers who are currently responsible
for the development of several research studies and
postgraduate programmes at Brazilian universities. The
academic cooperation between Brazil and France resulted
in a strong role of French ergonomics in the practice of a
great number of Brazilian ergonomists. Moraes (2002)
states that English ergonomics lost its opportunity to
influence Brazilian ergonomics due to the lack of linkages
between British and American universities and Brazilian
universities in this field of knowledge.
In Brazil, ergonomics is currently a taught module in
hundreds of graduate courses in the fields of industrial
design, architecture, manufacturing engineering, occupa-
tional therapy, odontology, psychology, etc. Several of
these courses also offer master and doctorate degrees in
which ergonomics is one of the main fields of study of the
postgraduation programme. These courses are taught at
the federal and state Universities in the states of Rio de
Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Paraı́ba,
Pernambuco, Estadual de Sao Paulo, and at the Catholic
University of Rio de Janeiro. Hundreds of doctorate theses
and master dissertations in ergonomics have been produced
in these teaching and research institutions. Although
ergonomics has already been consolidated, academically
speaking, in Brazil in the master and doctorate courses, the
professional training of the ergonomists, who will do the
fieldwork, takes place through specialisation courses of at
least 360 contact hours.
At present, there are several ergonomics companies in
Brazil and a great number of ergonomists working for
private and governmental companies in various areas, such
as metallurgy, steel industry, civil engineering, aviation,
informatics, energy.
The Brazilian Association of Ergonomics (ABERGO)—
www.abergo.org.br—was founded on 31st August 1983
557
and currently has about 350 members from all regions
across the country, from diverse educational backgrounds:
e.g. business administration, architecture, social service,
biology, industrial design, nursing studies, various en-
gineering domains, physiotherapy, medicine, psychology,
occupational therapy, etc.
ABERGO has eight Technical Groups in the various
domains of ergonomics: Teaching and Graduation in
Ergonomics; Product Normalisation and Certification;
Musculoskeletal Lesion Prevention/Rehabilitation; Ergo-
nomists’ Certification; Accessibility and Universal Design;
Ergodesign and Product Usability; Information and
Human–Computer Interaction; Occupational Biomecha-
nics and Workplace Physiology, and Ergonomics of Built
Environment.
ABERGO has Scientific Council, comprising 20 re-
nowned senior researchers, which is the assistant agency to
the Executive Committee on the formulation and imple-
mentation of policies for education, accreditation and
certification in ergonomics.
Thirteen congresses in ergonomics have taken place in
Brazil, attended by around 500 participants and an
impressive number of international guests. The congresses
are currently held every two years.
Soares (2005a), on the basis of an inventory of the
proceedings of Brazilian Congresses in Ergonomics (1999,
2000, 2001, 2002, and 2004), states that the best-
researched fields in ergonomics in Brazil are: hospital
ergonomics, product ergonomics, industry ergonomics,
ergonomics and services, ergonomics and built environ-
ment, ergonomics analysis of workplace, biomechanics,
ergonomics and accessibility, ergonomics design, informa-
tional ergonomics and HCI (?), and ergonomics and work
safety (Fig. 1).
Some innovative developments in science in Brazil can be
found in the following examples:
The developments in human factors of information and
communication technologies include studies on the predic-
tion of information, interface, telework, and environmental
design carried out by Fonseca et al. (2002) and Moraes
(2003); studies on web interface by Moraes and Teixeira
(2003) and Padovani and Lansdale (2003), and studies on
communication technologies by Fialho et al. (2005) and
Vidal and Bonfatti (2003).
Studies on psychosocial factors of sociotechnical systems
were produced by (i) Carvalho et al. (2005) about a nuclear
power plant; (ii) Santos et al. (1998) on anthropotechnol-
ogy of the ergonomics production systems; and (iii) Diniz
et al. (2005) and Roberto et al. (2005) on knowledge
management support for collaborative emergency response
and control systems.
Transport is an area that some Brazilian researchers
have focused on lately. Studies on traffic control and
control operation were carried out by Moraes et al. (2002a,
2003). Ribeiro and Mont’Alvão (2005) have studied an
ergonomics approach to efficiency in boarding, arrival and
the connection procedures.

558 M.M. Soares / Applied Ergonomics 37 (2006) 555–561
80 70
70 58 56
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
and Services
Ergonomics
Ergonomics
Ergonomics
Ergonomics
Hospital
Industry
Product
Fig. 1. Best-researched themes in ergonomics in Brazil, according to the proceedings of congresses of ABERGO (Soares, 2005a, b, c).
Other authors have produced studies on usability, safety
of product, and methodology based on ergonomics. Some
examples of such studies are those carried out by Moraes
et al. (2002b), Guimarães and Fogliatto (2001), and Soares
(2000).
Anthropometry and biomechanics are areas that have
received much attention from Brazilian researchers over
the years. Some examples are: (i) anthropometric recom-
mendations for the design of products and workstation by
Moraes and Quaresma (2000); (ii) studies on posture by
Souza and Coury (2005), Másculo et al. (2003), and
Másculo and Cárdia (2001); and (iii) studies on muscu-
loskeletal disorders and body movements by Coury (2005),
Padula and Coury (2003), Coury et al. (2002), Coury and
Padula (2002), and Sande et al. (2001).
Studies related to hospital ergonomics were carried by
Gomes et al. (2004), Galdino and Soares (2001) and
Gonc- alves et al. (2001). Barnes-Farrell et al. (2004) have
carried out a comparative study on work ability for health
care in five countries, including Brazil.
Some innovative developments in the industry ergo-
nomics sector were studied by Saurin and Guimarães
(2006), Másculo and Aversari (2003), and Soares et al.
(2002).
The area of organisational design and management
(ODAM) has been investigated in a number of studies in
Brazil. Some examples of such studies are: Tamayo et al.
(2005) on competence and strategies for organisational
intelligence; and Fischer et al. (2004), Sznelwar (2003), and
Fischer et al. (2001) on the analysis of the work process and
organisation.
Finally, it is worth considering the recent studies
involving methodological and theoretical aspects of ergo-
nomics by Soares (2005b, c), Fogliatto and Guimarães
(2004), Gomes et al. (2003) and Guimarães and Fogliatto
(2000).
In 2002, ABERGO created the Certification System of
Brazilian Ergonomist, which was the first experiment in
certification of ergonomists in Latin America. In Septem-
ber 2004, the first Brazilian ergonomists were awarded the
certificate. There are currently 83 certified ergonomists in
Brazil. The certification of groups and companies and the
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42 40 37
32
27 25 25 25
Biomecanichs
Environment
Ergonomics
Ergonomics
Ergonomics
Ergonomics
Ergonomics
Ergonomics
Acessibility
Analisys of
Workplace
and Work
and Built
and HCI
Design
Safety
and
Info
accreditation of specialisation courses in ergonomics are
scheduled to take place shortly.
Brazil currently occupies a hegemonic position in Latin
American ergonomics and a renowned place compared
to other Portuguese and Spanish speaking countries.
ABERGO has been affiliated with IEA (International
Ergonomics Association) since 1991.
In Brazil, the National Council of Ergonomics is the
assistant agency to the Ministry of Labour and Employ-
ment on issues related to this field of knowledge. The
Regulating Act No. 17 of the Ministry of Labour and
Employment regulates ergonomics practice in Brazil.
4. Ergonomics in Chile
Chilean ergonomics has been carried out by various
laboratories of ergonomics that have developed relevant
work across the country. The first of them, later called
Ergonomics Unit, was set up in 1972 at the University of
Concepción (Figueroa, 2002). This Ergonomics Unit
developed pioneering work together with the fishing,
mining, and manufacturing sectors, with special attention
to the work in forests, which had international recognition.
Besa (quoted by Figueroa, 2002) reports the analysis of
the first cases of tendonitis and tenossivitis in the Chilean
Safety Association Company in 1985, which was carried
out by a multidisciplinary team. In 1987, the same team set
up the Ergonomics Laboratory at the Catholic University
of Chile, which carried out work together with CEPAL, the
United Nations agency in Chile, and carried out ergo-
nomics analysis of the underground in Santiago. In 1992,
the Ergonomics Laboratory finished its activities.
Since 1988, the Ergonomic Centre and Workplace
Studies (CEYET) started carrying out specific investigation
into work in copper mines. Since its inception, this centre
has become a meeting point for exchange among Chilean
ergonomists.
At present, some companies, e.g. the Chilean Safety
Association, Institute of Workplace Safety and Mutual de
Seguridad, hire their own ergonomists. There are several
ergonomics consultancy companies in the country.
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M.M. Soares / Applied Ergonomics 37 (2006) 555–561
Pérez (quoted by Figueroa, 2002) carried out a study to
identify the rate of dissemination of ergonomics in the
educational institutions in Chile, and concluded that
ergonomics was taught on several graduation courses:
design, forest engineering, industrial project engineering,
odontology, psychology, and occupational therapy. Post-
graduation diplomas, consisting of 300 h courses, are
offered at the University of Concepción and the University
Gabriela Mistral.
The National Ergonomics Commission, an agency of the
Ministry of Labour, and Welfare, is involved with the
study and regulation of heavy work. There are various
rules for ergonomics in Chile, including visual warning
information, thermo commodity, evaluation of posture for
static work, school furniture, and information technology
work.
The Chilean Ergonomics Society (SOCHERGO)—
http://sochergo.ergonomia.cl/—was founded on 30 Sep-
tember 1988 and has 35 members to date. The Board
Meeting of IEA took place on 31 August and 1 September
2002, and on 3 September the ULAERGO, the União
Latino Americana de Ergonomia (Latin America Ergo-
nomics Union), was founded in Santiago.
5. Ergonomics in Colombia
Ergonomics is in its early stages in Colombia in the field
of risk prevention in the workplace through consultancy
services contracted by Professional Risks Business Com-
panies. In the past couple of years, these companies, on
their own initiative, have carried out ergonomics diagnostic
tests to bring about changes in work activities.
The Colombian Ergonomics Society (SCE)—www.
scergonomia.com—was set up on 24 May 1996 at the 1st
Colombian Congress of Ergonomics, which was attended
by 240 participants. Although still young, the SCE has
already made important contributions to Colombian
ergonomics: e.g. its representation as a scientific society
on the National Committee for Occupational Health;
acknowledgement as the assistant agency to the Ministry
of Social Protection; its participation, along with the
Ministry of Social Protection, in policy making for the
development of ergonomics in the country; the formulation
of juridical norms of technical character for ergonomics in
the country; the hiring, on the part of the Colombian
Petroleum Company (ECOPETROL), for the creation and
validation of directives on the company’s ergonomics
nationwide.
In addition to the 1st Colombian Congress of Ergo-
nomics, there have been four other congresses of ergo-
nomics. The last one took place at Medellin in 2004 on the
theme of Ergonomics and the transfer of technology.
At present, the educational provision for ergonomists in
Colombia is concentrated in two specialisation courses in
ergonomics at the University El Bosque in Bogotá and at
the University of Antioquia in Medellı́n. The scientific
research work in ergonomics is concentrated in the
559
academic setting, both at the graduate and postgraduate
levels, in the following fields: ergonomics, occupational
health and prevention of workplace risks. The majority of
the studies are related to physical ergonomics.
6. Ergonomics in Mexico
The development of ergonomics in Mexico has sprung
from two sources. The visit by Professor Nils Lundgren in
1970, sponsored by the Centro Nacional de Productividad,
which encouraged interest in the field and the publication
of various materials on the theme, and the setting up of the
Association of Ergonomics, which worked precariously for
a few years and died out shortly after that, but was
restarted in 1997.
Thus, The Ergonomists Society in Mexico (SEMAC)—
www.semac.org.mx/—was re-founded in May 1997. On 20
November 1999, to mark the anniversary of the Mexican
Revolution, the 1st International Congress of Ergonomics
was held at Monterrey. Since then, SEMAC has offered
seven annual congresses of ergonomics; the last one was
held 3–5 November 2005 at Monterrey, Nuevo Leon. In
2001, SEMAC was recognised as a federated member of
IEA. At present, SEMAC has 105 members, including
engineers, doctors, designers, psychologists and business
administrators.
At present, there are very few ergonomists in the vast
majority of companies in Mexico. Ergonomics work is
performed by engineers, doctors and designers.
Since 1974, the establishment of graduation courses in
industrial design generated a great interest in the field of
ergonomics. Ergonomics teaching is offered through a few
modules on the courses of industrial design, industrial
engineering, and psychology, mainly in the universities at
Guadalajara, Cidade do México and Monterrey.
In the past year, SEMAC has cooperated with the
Secretariat for Labour and Social Prevention to review
ergonomic norms.
7. Ergonomics in Peru
The Peruvian Society of Ergonomics (SOPERGO)—
www.sopergo.com—was created on 14 April 2004 by a
group of professionals who belonged to the Centre of Risk
Prevention of social security of Peru. A few meetings have
been organised with the support of the International
Labour Organisation, the Institute for Health Labour
and local universities. To date, SOPERGO has hosted
three annual meetings and a few basic courses in
ergonomics.
In professional terms, there is no legislation on
ergonomics in Peru. A few multinational companies carry
out intervention related to the evaluation of workstations.
Although there is no educational provision for ergonomists
in Peru, the subject is offered in the Master programme in
Occupational Health at the National University Mayor de
San Marcos and short courses are to be found at the
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560 M.M. Soares / Applied Ergonomics 37 (2006) 555–561
University Ricardo Palma de Lima and at National Society
of Industries.
8. Conclusion
Ergonomics has faced many challenges in Latin Amer-
ica. With the exception of Brazilian ergonomics, which has
shown consistent development since its inception, Latin
American ergonomics is a field of knowledge that has not
yet been fully consolidated. One of the main reasons was
the lack of postgraduation programmes at the level of
master and doctorate degrees, which may have hindered
research in the majority of these countries. The implemen-
tation of postgraduation courses, in particular the specia-
lisation courses, which qualify ergonomists for the market
represents a challenge to several countries in Latin
America.
The professional practice of adequately qualified ergo-
nomists may lead to a Certification System appropriate to
each country. The successful experiment in certification
such as that developed by Brazilian ergonomists may
provide a model for those countries.
The Latin America Ergonomics Union (ULAERGO)—
http://ulaergo.ergonomia.cl/—established as a network of
IEA, has become a leader in scientific development,
cooperation, dissemination, and implementation of ergo-
nomics on the continent. In the future, ULAERGO may
become a catalyst for change in Latin American ergonomics,
assisting in the formulation of common policies among the
country members, which in turn can trigger development and
cater to diversity among people. Through ULAERGO and
the cooperative work of the various ergonomics associations,
the successful experiences may be replicated and good
practice disseminated across the continent.
Acknowledgements
The author thanks the President of the following
Associations for providing the data used in this paper:
Alfredo Garcia (SEMAC México); Anibal Hermoza
(SOPERGO Peru); Gabriela Cuenca and Mario Poy
(ADEA Argentina); Miguel Acevedo (SOCHERGO
Chile), Nelcy Arevalo (SCE Colombia).
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