This code is based on the 'IEA Code of Professional Conduct'. The International Ergonomics Association (IEA) is an umbrella body of Federated Societies, Affiliated Societies and Sustaining Members from developed and developing countries around the world. All members of the New Zealand Certification Scheme must abide by this code.

International Ergonomics Association Code of Professional Conduct.
The professional conduct of all ergonomists must be beyond reproach in keeping with the highest standards of professionalism. In particular, in pursuit of their profession, ergonomists must pay special attention to the following:

1. They should maintain at all times professional integrity, objectivity, and respect for evidence.
2. They should conduct themselves such as to never compromise the integrity of their profession.
3. They should endeavour to promote the cause of ergonomics and disseminate new knowledge toward the benefit of humankind individually and collectively.
4. They should always value the welfare of all persons affected by their work whether or not this is within the terms of reference of their employment.
5. They should not use race, disability, gender, sexual preference, age, religion, or national origin as a consideration in hiring, promoting, or training in any job where such consideration is irrelevant to the demands of the job.
6. They should show an impeccable regard for the social and moral expectations of the community in which they work.
7. They should not use their position as a teacher, a granting of contracting official, an employer or an employee, or any other position of influence, to coerce or harass others.
8. They should avoid all situations that contain elements of conflict of interest and must provide full disclosure of those conflicts to all potentially affected parties.
9. They should take all reasonable steps to ensure that those working under their supervision act with full compliance to this code of professional conduct.
10. When becoming aware of professional misconduct by a colleague, that is not resolved by discussion with the colleague concerned, they should take steps to bring that misconduct to the attention of the appropriate ergonomics authority, doing so without malice.

Professional Qualifications
In pursuit of their profession, all ergonomists:
1. Should have the responsibility of accurately representing their professional qualifications and the institution they represent.
2. Should not lay false claim to professional qualifications, affiliations, characteristics or capabilities for themselves or their organisations.
3. Should present their educational background in detail where a brief summary statement of qualifications would be deceptive or misleading. Furthermore, they should not allow their names to be used in connection with their services in such a way as to misrepresent the nature and efficiency of their services. When such a misrepresentation has occurred, the members should do everything to correct the situation as soon as they become aware.
4. Should endeavour to maintain their professional competence, while recognising and working within this limit, and they shall strive to identify and overcome the factors restricting their competence.

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Practice
In pursuit of their profession, all ergonomists:
1. Should limit their practice to those areas of ergonomics for which they are qualified by virtue of training and/or experience and not extend their practice beyond the scope of their competence. Any work taken outside their competence must be conducted only with proper professional supervision.
2. When requested to provide services outside their professional competence, they should provide all reasonable assistance to obtaining such services from those who are qualified to provide them.
3. Should not make misleading, exaggerated, or unjustified claims for effectiveness of their methods. Furthermore, they should not advertise their services in a way that creates unrealistic expectations of the effectiveness of their services.
4. Should not use their affiliation with the Board for Certification of New Zealand Ergonomists, the NZ Ergonomics Society, or any other ergonomics society, in a way to create an impression of tacit approval by these organisations.
5. Should avoid exaggeration, superficiality, deception, and sensationalism. They should also avoid any misrepresentation in all statements, presentations, and submissions to the client, the employer, or media.
6. Should hold the safety of the person, property, and health of individuals potentially affected by their work of paramount importance.
7. Should take all reasonable steps to preserve the confidentiality of information acquired through their professional practice and to protect the privacy of individuals or organisations about whom the information was collected or held. Furthermore, they should not divulge the identity of individuals or organisations without express permission from those concerned.
8. Should neither solicit nor accept financial material benefit from those receiving their services beyond what was contractually agreed. Furthermore, they should not accept such rewards from more than one source for the same work without the consent of all parties concerned.
9. Should not advertise their service nor solicit employment in any way which might bring ergonomics or professional colleagues in disrepute.
10. See footnote .
11. Should refrain from adverse public comment or criticism of the views, services or conduct of a professional colleague unless the person's activity endangers the rights or well-being of others.

Research
In pursuit of their profession, all ergonomists should endeavour to provide opportunity and encouragement for the development and advancement of all those with whom he/she comes in contact. Ergonomists who are engaged in research should follow the following set of principles for the conduct and reporting of their research.

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Conduct of research:
All ergonomists should comply with the Geneva Convention and Helsinki Accord in treating both human and animal subjects, in addition to obeying national and local laws and regulations, as well as generally accepted procedures within the scientific community. In particular, ergonomists:
1. Should determine if the conduct of their research has the promise of benefit beyond the limits of the hazard exposure of the subjects. They should also determine carefully and as accurately as possible the exposure to the hazards and stress to their research subjects and divulge them accurately.
2. Should determine carefully and as accurately as possible the degree of hazard present in the research they are conducting and avoid exposure to their human research subjects as much as possible to ensure that no harm comes to them. Ergonomists should ensure that no harm comes to the human subject. Ergonomists should ensure that any experiment is terminated immediately if the subject's exposure to hazards exceeds commonly accepted thresholds.
3. Should endure that ethical principles and practices are followed in their research laboratories by their collaborators, assistants, students, and employees.
4. Should conduct only those research projects which have been approved by the local ethics committee. The ergonomist must establish an informed consent form for human subjects. Information must be provided to human subjects in plain and clear language indicating the terms of participation particularly with respect to any elements of hazardous exposure, pain or injury involved in the entire experiment.
5. Should empower human research subjects to terminate their involvement in the research at any time when they deem it necessary without any prejudice. The identity of human subjects must always be kept confidential unless permission is obtained from the subjects.
6. Should not coerce any potential human research subject to participate as a subject in a research project, nor use undue monetary reward to induce subjects to take risks they would not otherwise take.

Reporting of Research:
In pursuit of their profession, all ergonomists *who are engaged in research and scholarly activities have an obligation to report their work to the general scientific community and to give credit to those who have contributed on a professional level to that work. This reporting can be through the means of a publication in a journal or presentation at a scientific meeting of any ergonomics society.
1. Ergonomists should ensure the integrity and accuracy of the data recorded and conclusions drawn therefrom before reporting to the general scientific community. It is incumbent upon the ergonomist to maintain the highest standards of scientific rigour in experimentation, analysis and results reported.
2. It is incumbent upon the ergonomist to maintain the highest degree of objectivity when they are reviewing or editing works of other colleagues, In particular, they must ensure that their objectivity is not impaired by their own views even if the data and the reported results conflict with their own previously published work.
3. Ergonomists should not plagiarize. The works and quotations taken from others must be duly recognised by identifying the original source.
4. Ergonomists should pay special attention to communication of research in a way to optimize understanding of practitioners for potential industrial application, if so chosen. Therefore, the design implications must be addressed where applicable.

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