Overview of the program
The Certification Program for Professional Ergonomists was established in August 2003 after approval at the general meeting of the Japan Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (JES) held in June of that year. The mission of the program is to certify ergonomics practitioners who have sufficient ergonomics knowledge, skill and professional competence relating to the solution of ergonomic problems to contribute to the advancement and promotion of ergonomics.
The program is operated by Japan Human Factors and Ergonomics Society(JES) Committee on Certification of
Professional Ergonomists. The governing body of the Committee consists of the chair, vice chair and other executive members selected from CPE members who operate the examination, general meeting, seminar and other events.
The program was awarded an endorsement by the International Ergonomics Association (IEA) in May 2007, and became an internationally recognized certifying bodies, alongside the Board of Certification in Professional Ergonomics (BCPE) in US, and the Centre for Registration of European Ergonomists (CREE) in Europe, and others.
After June 2007, two new certification programs targeting young practitioners were established. The certifications involve the Certified Associate Ergonomics Professional (CAEP), and the Certified Ergonomics Practitioner(CEP), designations. More than 350 people have been certified in these programs as of 2024.
* IEA is a non-profit organization registered in Switzerland, and an international federation of Ergonomics Societies from around the world. The mission of the IEA is to advance ergonomics science and practice, and to expand the scope of application of ergonomics and its contribution to society and the improvement of quality of life. IEA also evaluates the quality of the Certification Programs of Professional Ergonomist in member countries/regions, and endorses those programs when they satisfies IEA’s criteria. This process is called IEA Endorsement.
President message
I am pleased to announce that I have been appointed to the position of President of the Board of Certification of Professional Ergonomists, Japan (BCPE-J) for the 11th term, which will commence in June 2024.
The BCPE-J certification board has invested significant effort into enhancing the recognition of this certification system among the general public and reforming the certification process, including modifying the requirements for a domestic-specific license (certified ergonomics practitioners).
In the 11th term, we will build on the efforts made up to the 10th term to establish a solid foundation for further development of this certification system based on effective reputation management strategies.
To this end, we have established a task force with the objective of developing a reputation strategy to promote the social status of certified professional ergonomists (CPE).
How can CPEJ/HFE contribute to business solutions?
In 2020, the International Association of Ergonomics (IEA) revised the Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) Core Competencies. The revised HFE Core Competencies place an emphasis on systems approaches for more holistic analysis, with a particular focus on aligning human well-being with system performance. Such HFE can play a pivotal role in the realms of ESG investment and SDGs, as well as align with existing certifications such as WELL, EHS (Environment, Health, and Safety) management systems, and ISO 45001 standards.
It is also important to present a future vision of how CPE personnel or human factors and ergonomics professionals can contribute to business solutions such as ESG investment and SDGs, which are considered important in corporate management in recent years.
By showcasing these new role models of CPE personnel or HFE professionals, we can explore new opportunities in responding to sustainable business development.
Thank you very much for your attention and kind support.
Takeshi Ebara, Ph.D. CPEJ,
The president of the Board of Certification of Professional Ergonomists, Japan (BCPE-J) Professor, Department of Ergonomics, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan