IHs who sit for the certified industrial hygienist exam typically must know the NIOSH Lifting Equation (NLE), but CPEs have a much wider range of responsibilities. Ergonomists broadly address other physical hazards of the workplace, including vibration exposure from hand tools, awkward or non-neutral postures in construction, reach envelopes in manufacturing, and repetitive stress from typing. Ergonomic training goes beyond the physical aspects of job design to psychosocial well-being, cognition, and usability. Professionals assess job task loading, operating room design, the selection of computer displays, the impacts of stress on job performance, and the accessibility of software. Just like IHs, when CPEs are included early in the design process they can help proactively with workplace layout and tool procurement. After production starts, they can help by tweaking tasks and spaces to fit each specific user. After an injury or mishap, CPEs can produce a thorough analysis of the event and make recommendations to modify the task, workplace, and training so that it does not happen again.

WHEN A CPE IS NEEDED Industry requires a variety of professionals credentialed in occupational and environmental health and safety. In addition to CIHs and CPEs, workplaces need certified safety professionals (CSPs) and certified hazardous materials managers (CHMMs). While there is overlap in the knowledge and practice required for each of these credentials, they are independent and complementary.

At some point, a company needs the work of an expert, whether on permanent staff or periodically as a consultant. Having a certification indicates the individual has demonstrated competence through knowledge of basic principles, core background, methodology, and current research in the area as well experience in applications of that knowledge. As noted by the Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals, credentialed professionals are effectively pre-screened; having them on staff therefore saves organizations money by speeding up recruitment. Organizations that need a CPE can find a list of approximately 1,400 certified professionals across the world on the BCPE website.

CPEs must have a mastery of ergonomics knowledge and a command of methodologies used in the design of products, processes, and the work environment. According to IEA, CPEs must show competence in physical ergonomics, including human anatomical, anthropometric, physiological, and biomechanical characteristics that are related to work; cognitive ergonomics, including perception memory, reasoning, and motor response; and organizational ergonomics, including work optimization for groups of workers including their organizational structures, policies, and processes. CPEs must be able to apply their knowledge to analyze, design, test, and evaluate products, processes, and environments. Above all, CPEs must conduct themselves in an ethical manner when applying ergonomic principles in the workplace.

BECOMING A CPE Being certified is the gold standard for the OEHS profession. Often, the first thing that many potential clients want to know is not what college we went to or what program we graduated from but what certifications we hold.

The process of obtaining the CPE credential is similar to that of the CIH. The educational requirements for the two credentials have significant overlap: a bachelor’s degree in any major plus at least 24 credit hours of coursework in system design, biomechanics, physiology, psychology, environmental factors, process analysis, usability, statistics, and human-system interaction. In addition, CPE candidates need at least three years of professional experience; the attainment of a PhD in a related field is considered equivalent to one year of experience. Applicants must submit examples of work products to demonstrate their expertise, a requirement that experienced IHs should be able to fulfill. To attain the CPE, candidates must pass a three-hour exam.