Bio

Dr. Jeffrey Fernandez is the Managing Principal at JFAssociates, Inc. based in the Washington, DC area. He has a MS and Ph.D. in industrial engineering from Texas Tech University. He is a registered professional engineer (PE) and a certified professional ergonomist (CPE) and is known for his expertise in occupational ergonomics and classical industrial engineering. From 1999 to 2003, Dr. Fernandez worked as a senior managing engineer at Exponent, Inc. From 1986 to 1999, Dr. Fernandez was a professor in the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, and co-director of the Manufacturing Innovation and Design (MIND) Center, at Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. In 1993, Dr. Fernandez served as a Senior Research Associate for the National Research Council (NRC) at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). From 2003 to 2008, he was involved in testing and evaluation for a U.S. Army ATD.

Dr. Fernandez is a fellow of the Institute of Ergonomics & Human Factors, and a member of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, the International Society of Occupational Ergonomics and Safety, and the Society for Industrial and Systems Engineering. From 2010-2016 he was on the board of directors of the Board of Certification of Professional Ergonomics (BCPE) and in 2015-2016 he was the President of the Board of Certification of Professional Ergonomics. In 2004-2005, he was the president of the International Society of Occupational Ergonomics and Safety. He has published more than 200 articles nationally and internationally. Dr. Fernandez is co-author of Applied Occupational Ergonomics: A Textbook – Fourth Edition and co-author of Ergonomía Ocupacional: Diseño y Administración del Trabajo. From 1995-2010, he was the news editor of the International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics; and from 1995-2011, he was the managing/executive editor of the International Journal of Industrial Engineering. He is on the editorial board of the EHS Today, Industrial and Systems Engineering Review, and the International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, and is on the advisory panel of IIE Transactions on Occupational Ergonomics and Human Factors. At present, Dr. Fernandez is an adjunct professor at the Catholic University of America and George Mason University.

Selected Relevant Experience

Consulting experience includes the following industrial sectors:

Served as an expert on several time and motion projects involving a variety of occupational tasks. Designed study, visited site, collected and analyzed data, prepared reports, and provided litigation support.

Served as a consulting expert for the Wage and Hour Division, U.S. Department of Labor, on a project involving time spent on numerous tasks. Inspected the sites, collected and analyzed data, and prepared report.

Served as an expert on several suitable seating projects involving a variety of tasks. Designed study, visited stores, collected and analyzed data, prepared reports, and provided litigation support.

Served as a consulting expert for OSHA on numerous occasions in the ergonomic evaluation of work places as it relates to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Prepared reports and provided litigation support.

Led a test and evaluation team for a U.S. Army ATD. Designed, planned, conducted numerous evaluations in the field, analyzed data, and presented results in the form of reports and briefs.

Worked with companies to comply with aspects of settlement agreements, involving a number of ergonomics-related OSHA citations. Developed ergonomics programs, redesigned work places, trained employees, developed a focus group, and assisted in designing tools.

Provided various companies and agencies with assistance in implementing Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. Assignments involved the design or redesign of independent living tasks, work-place tasks, and assistive devices for individuals with disabilities (e.g., Down’s Syndrome, spinal cord injuries, spina bifida, cerebral palsy).