Professor Peter Sykes

Peter is the Associate Dean (enterprise) for the School of Health Sciences and contributes to undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in the field of public health, environmental health and occupational Health and Safety. More specifically his teaching interests lie in the areas of risk assessment, epidemiology and Occupational Health and Safety.  Peter is a Director of the Centre for Health Safety and Environment (CHSE) and is heavily involved in the delivery and management of applied research projects, consultancy and training. His research interests lie in the assessment and management of the occupational risks posed to worker's exposed to bioaerosols in the waste treatment industry and has presented his research findings at numerous international conferences. Peter is currently working in collaboration with a number of companies throughout the UK assisting them in developing monitoring protocols and risk assessment procedures to minimise the potential impacts from worker's exposure to dust and bioaerosols in the waste management sector. Peter also sits on a number of expert groups in relation to health and safety in the waste management sector.

Peter is the Director of the Centre for Health Safety and Environment (CHSE) and is heavily involved in the delivery and management of applied research projects, consultancy and training. His research interests lie in the assessment and management of the occupational risks posed to worker's exposed to bioaerosols in the waste treatment industry and has presented his research findings at numerous international conferences. Peter is currently working in collaboration with a number of companies throughout the UK assisting them in developing monitoring protocols and risk assessment procedures to minimise the potential impacts from worker's exposure to dust and bioaerosols in the waste management sector. Peter also sits on a number of expert groups in relation to health and safety in the waste management sector.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Bell, N, Powell, C and Sykes, P (2015) Securing the well-being and engagement of construction workers: An initial appraisal of the evidence In: Raidén, A B and Aboagye-Nimo, E (Eds) Procs 31st Annual ARCOM Conference, 7-9 September 2015, Lincoln, UK, Association of Researchers in Construction Management, 489-498. 

Bell, N., Powell, C., Sykes, P., 2014.  Give and Take.  Safety and Health Practitioner. December 2014.  Available online at:  http://www.shponline.co.uk/give-take-worker-engagement

Bell, N., Powell, C., Sykes, P., 2015.  Transformational leadership.  Safety and Health Practitioner. April 2015.  Available online at:  http://www.shponline.co.uk/transformational-leadership

Bell, N., Powell, C., Sykes, P., 2015.  Constructive Engagement, Health and Safety at Work.  April 2015. 

Bell, N., Powell, C., Sykes, P., 2015.  People don't care what you know until they know you care.  Online blog,  SHPOnline.  Available online at:  http://www.shponline.co.uk/people-dont-care-know-know-care

Bell, N., Powell, C., Sykes, P., 2015.  Managing Health in the Workplace.  Safety and Health Practitioner.  June 2015.  Available online at:  http://www.shponline.co.uk/managing-health-workplace

Bell, N., Powell, C., Sykes, P.,  From Health to Wellbeing.  Safety and Health Practitioner.  August 2015. Available online at:

http://www.shponline.co.uk/cpd-from-health-to-wellbeing/

Sykes P. Morris RHK, Allen JA. Wildsmith JD. & Jones KP (2011). Worker Exposure to Dust, Endotoxin and β-(1-3) Glucan at Four Large-Scale Composting Facilities in the UK. Waste Management. 31(2011). pp4230430.

Sykes P. Jones KP. Wildsmith JD. Managing the potential public health risks from bioaerosol liberation at commercial composting sites in the UK : An analysis of the evidence base. Resources, Conservation & Recycling. 52; 2007.pp410-424.

Sykes P, Allen JA, Wildsmith JD &Jones KP (2009) An Analysis of Employee Exposure to Organic Dust at Large Scale Composting Facilities. Journal of Physics. Conference Series 151 (2009) 012064. Doi:1088/1742-6596/151/1/012064.

22^nd International Conference on Solid Waste Technology and Management. Philadelphia. USA. March 18 -21, 2007 Managing The Potential Public Health Risks From Bio Aerosol Liberation At Commercial Composting Sites - An Analysis Of The Evidence Base, Peter Sykes, Ken Jones, UK. Conference proceedings. ISSN 1091-8043

Sykes, P (2014). Developing an evidence-base to support risk reduction strategies in compost workers. ICEH 2014. 3rd international congress on Environmental Health, 24-26th September, Porto. ISBN 978989205086-7

Homann, F., Limbert, C., Bell, N., Sykes, P. (2022). Safety through engaged workers: The link between Safety-II and work engagement . Journal of Safety Science, Vol 146, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2021.105521

Scott, S., Limbert, C., Sykes, P., (2021). Work-related stress among headteachers in Wales: Prevalence, sources, and solutions. Educational Management Administration & Leadership. Nov 15th, 2021.  https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432211054630

Homann, F., Limbert, C., Matthews, S., Castaldi, D., Sykes, P. (2021). Identifying management practices that drive production-line workers' engagement through qualitative analysis. Journal of Safety Research, Volume 77, June 2021, Pages 296-310. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2021.02.006

Sykes, P., (2019). How safe is your cab? Organics Recycling. Renewable Energy Association. Spring 2019. Issue 40. https://www.r-e-a.net/organics-recycling-magazine-spring-2019/

Cottagiri, SA., & Sykes, P., (2019). Key health impacts and support systems for informal carers in the UK: A Thematic Review. Journal of Health and Social Sciences. 2019;4(2):173–98. https://journalhss.com/publications/2019-42/

Bell, N., Powell, C., Sykes, P., (2018). Can Workers voices be heard in Foundries. XXVI Annual International Conference "Foundry and metallurgy 2018. Minsk, Belarus

Dodo, AM., Sykes, P., Amin, TT., Powell, C., (2017). Knowledge, attitude, perception, and barriers to breast and cervical cancer screening among women in Northern Nigeria. BMC Public Health.

Harold, P., Kibble, A., Huckle, E., Calow, P., Fernades, R., Brito, D., Braunshweig, F., Mohamed, M., Sykes, P., (2017). Project Mariner: Enhancing HNS Planning and preparedness via innovative training tools. International Oil Spill conference proceedings, Volume 2017, Issue 1, May2017. https://www.doi.org/10.7901/2169-3358-2017.1.1999

Book & book chapter

Dr Sykes was commissioned by the Association for Organic Recycling (AfOR) to write technical guidance for the Composting sector

AfOR 2012, Health and Safety at Composting Sites. A guide for Site Managers. 3rd Edition. The Association For Organic Recycling. ISBN 978-0-9547797-7-1

Environmental Allergens - Potential health impacts from composting in Environmental Medicine. Part 3, Section A13. Editors Jon Ayres, Roy Harrison, Gordon Nicholls and Bob Maynard.. Hodder Arnold 2010. ISBN 978-0-340-94656-5

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

Managing the Potential Health Impacts from Large Scale Composting Operations. Institute of Waste Management. July 2006.

Occupational Hygiene 2007: 17-19 April 2007. Assessment of employee's exposures to bioaerosols at commercial composting sites.

22^nd International Conference on Solid Waste Technology and Management. Philadelphia. USA. March 18 -21, 2007  Managing the potential public health risks from bio aerosol liberation at commercial composting sites? An analysis of the evidence base. (oral presentation).

Inhaled Particles X 2008, 23-25 September, 2008.  An analysis of employee exposure to organic dust at large-scale composting facilities. Sheffield. British Occupational Hygiene Society. The Aerosol Society.

Occupational Hygiene 2009: 28-30^th April, 2009. An investigation of vehicle operators' exposure to dust, endotoxin and β-(1-3) Glucan  in the composting sector and an evaluation of current control measures. Eastbourne. British Occupational Hygiene Society.

International Federation of Environmental Health 2010, 5-10^th September. Vancouver. An analysis of employee exposure to organic dust at large-scale composting facilities..

AFOR Conference, 2011 Assessing and managing the risks form bioaerosol exposure – practical considerations,  AFOR Conference 2012, Minimising, Monitoring and assessing emissions – are you in control?. 29^th November, 2012

Practical steps to mitigate bio-aerosols on waste management sites. Health and Safety in Waste Management. Organics Recycling Group, Renewable Energy Association. Stockport. 26^th September

Assessing & Managing worker's exposures to bioaerosols during the treatment of organic waste. 78^th NEHA conference. 7-10^th July, 2014, Las Vegas, USA

Health Surveillance requirements for bioaerosol exposure risks. Health and Safety in Waste Management. Organics Recycling Group, Renewable Energy Association. 17^th July 2014. Staffs. uk

Developing an evidence-base to support risk reduction strategies in compost workers. ICEH 2014. 3^rd international congress on Environmental Health, 24-26^th September, Porto.

Health and Safety Executive ,Waste Industry Safety and Health Conference – 'Delivering the Solution together'. 27/11/14. Birmingham – Invited Speaker

REA Organics  Bioaerosol Conference , 4th December 2015, Birmingham. Invited Speaker - Occupational Health – What steps can operators take to mitigate risks from Bioaerosols.

Health and Wellbeing at Work Conference, 8-9^th March 2016, NEC Birmingham. Developing Monitoring Protocols and Risk Assessment Procedures to Minimise Dust and Bioaerosol Exposure in Waste Management. Invited Speaker 

POSTER PRESENTATIONS

British Occupational Hygiene Society Conference 2008, Bristol. The impact of operational practices on employee exposures to endotoxin at composting sites.

American Thoracic Society. 2008, International Conference. 16 – 21 May. Toronto.

1. IgG sensitisation to Thermophilic actinomycetes in compost workers.
2. An analysis of employee exposure to endotoxin at composting sites 
   
   Occupational Hygiene 2009, Eastbourne, An analysis of employee exposure to organic dust at large-scale composting facilities.

• Chartered Fellow –Chartered  Institute of Environmental Health
  
• Chartered Member of the Institution of Occupational Health and Safety
  
• Member of the British Occupational Hygiene Society
• Fellow of The Higher Education Academy
  
• Chair of the WISH, Special interest group on creating healthier and safer workplaces
• ​Member of the Waste Industry Safety and Health (WISH) Innovation and Futures Working Group
  
• Member of the WHO community of trainers for chemical incident management
  
• Member of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Chemical Risk Assessment Network
  
• Board Member, Environment Platform Wales
  

UNIVERSITY APPOINTMENTS

• Member, Cardiff School of Sport and Health Sciences Ethics Committee
  
• Deputy Chair CSSHS Research and Innovation Committee
• Board Member, Food Industry Centre, Zero to five
• Member of the University Credit Committee
  
• Member of the University's Research and Enterprise Board
  
• Member of the School's Management and Planning team
  
• Member of the School Directorate
  
• Director of the Centre for Health Safety and Environment
  
• Head of the International Training Centre, Cardiff School of Health Sciences