CEAS certification | How to Become a Certified Ergonomic Assessment Specialist

So you want to a CEAS certification and to become a certified ergonomic assessment specialist? Well, I hope this article will give you a few ideas about what they do and what is involved in the evaluation process.

Firstly I will just give a quick refresher about what ergonomics is all about.

Let’s begin:

What is CEAS Certification?

The study of health involves designing and arranging the things that people use at the office so that they work at their most efficient and safe level.

This applied science essentially “fits a job to a person,” so that the person can work in an environment whereby they suffer the least amount of injury on the job, decreasing the number of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) that occur in the workplace.

MSD’s can affect individuals’ muscles, nerves, and tendons in their neck, back, and upper extremities and occur most frequently in jobs spanning across many different injuries where heavy lifting, bending, pushing, and pulling heavy objects, working in strange postures and repetitive tasks are involved.

MSD’s are the leading cause of workday injury and illness; the good news is that they are preventable through work with a certified ergonomic assessment specialist (CEAS).

Ergonomics assessment specialists frequently use an assessment checklist in their work and evaluation. These lists include lists of different appliances and technology involved in the workplace (such as computers and desk chairs) and specifications for making them very comfortable and usable.

For example, a desk should be large and deep enough to allow a worker to keep a computer monitor at least 20 inches away from the worker’s eyes.

Becoming a Certified Ergonomic Assessment Specialist 

A certified ergonomic assessment specialist (CEAS) helps employers provide a safe, comfortable, and relaxing environment for their workers.

They assist employers in adhering to the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) standards, which requires that employers provide their employees with a work environment free of known dangers.

It is important to become certified in ergonomics in order to work in this field because it increases an individual’s “hireability”; employers will know that someone who is certified in ergonomics has the baseline knowledge to apply health principles at their workplace.

However, CEAS certification is not all that easy to get as you can read on:

In order to become certified, there are four important elements involved:

First, an individual must possess a master’s degree in health or other related human subjects field.

Second, they must have three years of professional experience in health-related stuff or a related professional field.

Third, they must take and obtain a passing score on the CPE (Ergonomics)/CHFP (Human Factors)/CUXP (User Experience) written test.

Finally, they must pay all the tests and other fees involved in the certification and evaluation process.

What are the Benefits of Having the Certification?

There are many benefits to the CEAS certification. Some of the main benefits of becoming an ergonomic assessment specialist include:

Availability of work for a CEAS certificated specialist

Because most industries are at risk for some type of MSD’s through lack of good comfortability, certified assessment specialists are in great demand. Some types of businesses that may most frequently need to use the services of an ergo assessment specialist include foodservice industries and trucking companies.

Gives A Resume Credibility

Employers want to know that they are hiring someone who knows what they are doing in the field of health. Having a certification on one’s resume is very important because it shows potential employers that they are credible. It distinguishes one’s resume from the rest.

Teaches Necessary Techniques

Going through the steps in becoming certified in health assessment gives an individual the knowledge base required for working in the field, better preparing an individual for the skills needed to complete jobs in ergonomics.

Many backgrounds accepted

There are several different backgrounds that one can have in order to become certified in the industry. One must have a master’s degree in health or a closely related human subjects field. Individuals who have backgrounds in such fields as occupational therapy or engineering are great “starting points” to becoming certified assessment specialists.

Different Certification Options Available

There are different certification options available, which gives an individual seeking certification greater flexibility in deciding exactly what kind of comfort they want to practice.

What are the Concerns When I Become CEAS Certified?

There are a few concerns that should be taken into account when deciding to become an ergonomic assessment specialist with a certification.

• Cost: Becoming licensed is not free. In fact, there are several costs associated with becoming certified. Some of the fees include application processing fees; examination fees; examination re-take fees (if applicable); certification maintenance fees; and certification maintenance late fees (if applicable). Fees may change every year, but an example of a typical examination fee is $350. The fees vary depending on the type of certification one desires.
• Time: As stated above, there are several steps involved in becoming certified in ergonomics, and these steps take time. Obtaining a master’s degree, for example, can take up years of an individual’s time and money. It is advisable to think long and hard about pursuing a professional assessment career before embarking on this journey.

Conclusion

Being a certified ergonomics assessment specialist (CEAS) can be a very rewarding career! It feels good knowing that one is working in a career that can benefit so many people and is in high demand.

It is great “people work”! Because of the time and costs involved, however, it is wise to explore one’s options and the steps involved before heading down the road to certification.

(You can find a list below of the organizations that can help you to achieve your goal)

Good luck!