Ilkka Kuorinka

Ilkka Kuorinka worked at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) between the years 1968- 1995 and played an important role in Finnish ergonomics.

His contribution to bringing HFE knowledge into practice was substantial. He established an HFE researchers group in the institute (FIOH), and later 1985, he established the Finnish Ergonomics Association (ERY) with Osmo Karhu, the father of OWAS (Ovako Working Posture Analysis System), where Ilkka played an important role. ERY was an essential group and link of HFE specialists who spread HFE information and organized workplace training. The focus was on work-life, and the target was to organize and produce HFE training for designers.

Ilkka Kuorinka chaired the IEA from 1988 to 1991.

Ilkka Kuorinka During his term, several initiatives were taken to build a better relationship with the International Labour Organization. This was successful: ILO agreed to support the development of a Checkpoints book for practical ergonomics interventions, primarily meant for industrially developing countries. Significant activity was the organization of the IEA triennial congress in 1991 in Paris. This became a big success in terms of the quality of the presentations, the number of participants and the financial outcome, with the support of SELF, the organizing Federated Society.

Through his investment at a global level, Ilkka was involved in ergonomics intervention in the 90s in Canada and France and worked in a French-speaking environment: in Canada (province of Quebec), at the IRRST, the Occupational Health and Safety public institute, he worked as manager of the newly set up safety and ergonomics department. He contributed actively to various books in French, especially on the prevention of musculo-skeletal disorders and a handbook in ergonomics.