Dave O’Neill
C.ErgHF, EurErg

Dave O’Neill has over 45 years’ experience as an ergonomics researcher, practitioner and manager. 

Having started his career as an aerospace engineer (mechanical) Dave moved into agricultural engineering after completing a Masters in Ergonomics.  After 30 years at a government research institute (National Institute of Agricultural Engineering, which became Silsoe Research Institute), Dave set up his own Consultancy (Dave O’Neill Associates).  He took some time out (2008 - 2014) to be the Chief Executive of the Ergonomics Society, now the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors. 

Dave’s involvement with agricultural ergonomics led him to specialise in the design of equipment to optimise health and safety with productivity, focusing mainly on manual handling, physical workloads, posture and environmental stresses.  Dave has a wide experience of both commercial and subsistence agriculture through his many diverse agricultural projects.

Dave is a Chartered Ergonomist and a Eur.Erg. as well as having affiliations to the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and the Institution of Agricultural Engineers.

Dave is retired from consultancy work but remains active on a number of Committees.

Academic and professional qualifications and Awards

• BSc Hons (Mechanical Engineering), University of Bristol, 1970
• MSc (Ergonomics), University College London, 1974
• AMIMechE, 1982; FErgS, 1985;  EurErg, 1996;  AIAgrE, 2004;  HonFIEHF, 2006;  ErgHF, 2015
• Prominent member of the team awarded the President’s Medal by the Ergonomics Society, 1997
• Received the Paul Branton Award from the Ergonomics Society, 2000
• Elected as Honorary Fellow of the Ergonomics Society, 2006

Other professional responsibilities

• Secretary-General of CREE (Centre for the Registration of European Ergonomists)
• Chair of the CIEHF Fellowship Panel
• Member of CIEHF Professional Affairs Board (PAB)
• Visiting Fellow, Loughborough Design School, Loughborough University*
• Member of Editorial Board of “Applied Ergonomics” *
• Secretary-General of FEES (Federation of European Ergonomics Societies) *
• Honorary General Secretary of the Ergonomics Society*
• EC FP7 Expert Evaluator*
• Adviser to various international ergonomics conferences*

 * not current   

Mike Fray
PhD, BSc(Hons), BHSc, MCSP, FHEA, Senior Lecturer, Ergonomics and Human Factors, School of Design and Creative Art, Loughborough University

Dr Mike Fray currently works a senior lecturer for the School of Design and Creative Art at Loughborough University. He holds first degrees in Ergonomics (Loughborough University) and Physiotherapy (Leeds University) and a PhD.

After working in the transport field (Ford, ICE Ergonomics) for many years, Dr Fray then moved into specialising in occupational physiotherapy, rehabilitation, and injury prevention for healthcare workers.  He has worked for Loughborough University since 1996 where he completed his PhD investigating patient handling interventions.

Dr Fray’s research focus is on the application of Human Factors/Ergonomics in a wide range of health and physical performance areas, including patient handling, injury reduction, adapted sport and improving the quality of patient care.  He is actively involved in many local and international research groups and programmes, including:

• Environmental Ergonomics Research Centre
• Co-ordinator of the Loughborough Alumni Patient Handling Research Forum (LARF)
• Co-lead for Ergonomics and Human Factors in Health & Social Care Hub
• Chair of the International Panel on Patient Handling Ergonomics (IPPHE)
• Author group for ISO in Patient Handling (ISO TR12296)
• Previously board member for the Association of Safe Patient Handling Professionals (USA) and National Back Exchange
• Literature Review Editor for Column (NBE)
• Scientific board member for Applied Ergonomics, IISE, IJSPHM (USA).

Dr Fray is most recognised for his development of the Postgraduate Programmes at Loughborough University.  This remains a world-leading programme for PHA to gain an extensive set of ergonomics skills to support their role.  He has numerous peer reviewed journal and conference publications and presents his work on an international scale. Amongst many of Dr Fray’s achievements, is the development of TROPHI: Tool for Risk Outstanding in Patient Handling Interventions, an outcome measurement tool which compares all types of interventions for patient handling in healthcare. TROPHI has gained international recognition.

Dr Fray has been an active member of NBE for many years. He presents frequently at NBE’s annual conference and has his work published in Column.