This award is given to any individual or group who has made outstanding and innovative contributions to ergonomics and human factors.
It recognises a single project or programme of work that has made a significant and innovative contribution to ergonomics and human factors to a product, system, organisation or workplace. The work will be of demonstrably high quality and impact and would normally have been completed no more than two years prior to the nomination being made.
Who was William Floyd?
William Floyd was born in 1910 and graduated from Queen Mary College, London with a BSc in Mathematics in 1931. After a teaching diploma and work on mathematics applied in engineering and physics, he undertook research into the galvanic skin reflex and became a demonstrator in physiology at the Middlesex Hospital Medical School. After war service, radar with the RAF, he returned to the Medical School, extending his studies of physiology, particularly into muscular action. He also served as part-time consultant to the Post Office, possibly the first consultant ergonomist appointment in the UK. He was a founder member of the Ergonomics Society, and joint Honorary Secretary until 1954.
He played an important part in the Society’s publishing role, as joint editor of the early proceedings and of ‘Ergonomics’. From 1960 to 1975 he was head of the new Department of Ergonomics and Cybernetics at Loughborough University of Technology and was appointed Professor in 1964, the first to hold the position with ergonomics in the title in the UK, probably the world. He founded the first undergraduate course in ergonomics, as well as being influential in starting the Institute of Consumer Ergonomics and the HUSAT Research Institute, both at Loughborough. The major department which he founded has trained students and research scientists from all over the world and is certainly the largest source of ergonomists in the UK.
Roll of honour
2017 Waldemar Karwowski
2016 Rachel Benedyk
2015 Peter Hancock
2014 Patrick Waterson
2012 Martin Anderson
2010 John Clarkson & Roger Coleman
2009 Denis O’Brien
2003 John Wood; T K Courtney, W Chang, R Gronqvist, and M Redfern
2002 Mike Goom; Sylvia Horner
2001 Prof David Stubbs
2000 Dr R H McCaig
1999 Ms Janette Edmonds
1998 Mr R G Sell
1997 Prof N S Kirk
1995 Richard Steele, Taylor & Francis
Formerly the Ergonomics Society Special Award (1985-1993)
1993 Mrs Joan Ward; Prof Emeritus W F Floyd; Richard Holman (posthumous)
1992 Mr R S Benson, Courtaulds Textiles plc
1991 Gwen M Rutherford, for long and devoted service to the Society
1989 Paul A Wilson, Computer Sciences Company Limited for his valuable contribution in establishing and running HICOM
1985 Dr Otto G Edholm, in recognition of his substantial research work and publications contributing to the development of ergonomics and his many contributions to the Society