The compliance assessment is about the product ergonomic features, that is, those features of products, processes and services (ISO 17065) that affect the physical and cognitive interaction with the user.

ErgoCert certifies consumer and professional products, as well as the user-oriented design process (Human-centred design-HCD).

The ErgoCert certification may include, if requested by the client, all three ergonomic macro-areas: polytechnical, biomedical, and psychosocial. Conversely, it may be referred to specific ergonomic requirements.

The prerequisite to start the ergonomic certification process is the compliance with the polytechnical requirements (such as the current legislative/normative framework) that are compulsory or deemed necessary/qualifying for the product under review. For such requirements, ErgoCert does not carry out its own assessments, but a documental examination on evidence supplied by the client in order to prove compliance (certifications by other qualified bodies, declarations of performance according to laws and technical norms, etc.).

Depending on the type of product, for the biomedical and psychosocial areas, ErgoCert finds in the sector technical standards or (whether needed) defines and applies specific ergonomic requirements. The ErgoCert technical specifications define for each product the ergonomic requirements applicable on the basis of the technical standards, the assessment instruments and methods, and the relative acceptable limits.

The following chart sums up the main steps in the certification procedure:

Yes, it is. In such a case, the ErgoCert regulation requires some preliminary activities, such as: further study of the technical standards, study of the context of use, and further analysis of the state of the art for that type of products (benchmarking). Such activities have the purpose of defining a technical specification.

Yes, it is. In such a case, a preliminary check is required about the ergonomically relevant factors influencing the family internal variability, in order to find out a representative subgroup of products to be tested analytically. Whether all the tested versions turned out to be compliant, the whole family would be certifiable; conversely, further focused study would be required.

The certification level is assigned, for each type of product, on the basis of the number of passed checks.

Depending on the level of non-compliance/s resulting from the assessment procedure, the ErgoCert certification committee, at the proposal of the monitoring team, may halt the certification process (major non-compliances, which require deep adjustments), or approve the certification (minor non-compliances, which require minor adjustments within a given period).

Yes, it may. The ErgoCert mark and the labels linked to the obtained certification level may be used by the certified company on its website and means of communication, in compliance with the regulation for the use of the ErgoCert mark.

The ErgoCert certification is valid for three years, and is subject to periodical monitoring to check that the product still maintains the certified features. After three years, the client has the faculty to apply for a certification renewal.

The client is obliged to promptly notify ErgoCert about the modifications. ErgoCert may decide to require further technical studies.

If the certification is no longer valid, ErgoCert removes the product from the Register of certified products and the client is obliged to remove every reference to said certification from its website and other means of communication.