Optimising Health and Performance in Physically Demanding Occupations

Personnel working in the Armed Forces, Emergency Services and certain industries are required to complete physically demanding job-tasks which often also have technical and cognitive requirements. Professor Sam Blacker has over 20 years’ experience conducting research to improve health and performance in physically demanding occupations. He has worked in industry and academia and is currently the co-lead of the Occupational Performance Research Group, which undertakes research projects for Defence, Emergency Services and Industry customers in the UK and overseas. These projects have included the development of role-related physical employment standards (PES), use of wearable sensors to quantify the physical demands of work and training, analysis of risk factors for injury and investigating nutritional strategies to support physical development and recovery. He was also Secretary of the NATO Human Factors and Medicine 269 Research Task Group (Combat Integration: Implications for Physical Employment Standards). This inaugural lecture will summarise research conducted in the laboratory and field which has informed evidenced-based interventions and changes to policy and practice for the safe and effective selection, training and work practices of personnel employed in physically demanding occupations.

Sam is a Professor of Exercise Physiology and Nutrition and co-leads the Occupational Performance Research Group. He joined the University of Chichester in 2013 after having spent the majority of the previous 12 years working for Optimal Performance Limited, a company specialising in delivering research and consultancy to enhance performance, improve health and reduce injury in physically demanding occupations. He has been the principal investigator for numerous research projects based in the United Kingdom and overseas, including for organisations such the Ministry of Defence, Department of Health, UK Fire and Rescue Service, UK Police Force, Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), Defence Sciences and Technology Laboratory (Dstl).

Sam is the programme coordinator for the MSc in Applied Sport and Exercise Nutrition. He supervises undergraduate and postgraduate research projects and is currently supervising six PhD students. Sam has active research collaborations with colleagues at other Universities, Industry and National Governing Bodies in the UK and overseas and coordinates a number of large research projects funded by UK Ministry of Defence and UK Emergency Services.

Sam is a British Association of Sports and Exercise Sciences (BASES) Accredited Sports and Exercise Scientist, and is the BASES Laboratory Director for the University of Chichester Sport & Exercise Science Laboratories.

The lecture will be held in Cloisters Chamber, there will be signs on campus to direct you.

Refreshments will be available from 6pm.

Car parking is pay by phone Monday-Friday 8am-6pm £1.90 per hour. All other times £1.35 set fee.