A new framework has been launched to further raise standards of physical and mental health for the chemicals and major hazards industries.
Every day, thousands of tonnes of hazardous chemicals move through manufacturing plants, warehouses, distribution centres and other UK industrial facilities. While the chemical industry has made significant advances in process safety, containment and environmental protection over the past three decades, one of the most persistent operational risks lies in transfer.
The challenge is far from theoretical. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), around 11,000 people die each year in Great Britain from occupational lung diseases linked to past workplace exposures.
Meanwhile, an estimated 1.9 million workers are currently suffering from work-related ill health. Across sectors handling hazardous substances, regulators continue to place increasing emphasis on reducing operator exposure and preventing environmental contamination throughout the entire lifecycle of chemical handling.
For many manufacturers, attention is shifting beyond storage, transport and process containment, towards a less visible but equally important area: how hazardous materials are transferred, dispensed and handled during day-to-day operations.
As regulatory scrutiny increases and sustainability targets become more demanding, hazardous material transfer is emerging as a strategic priority, influencing safety, compliance, environmental performance and operational efficiency alike.
The hidden risk in routine operations
When major industrial accidents occur, attention understandably focuses on process failures, equipment malfunctions or containment breaches. However, common opportunities for operator exposure occur during everyday activities such as decanting, dispensing, container connection, draining and product transfer.
Historically, many transfer processes relied on manual handling techniques and widely accepted open systems. While effective from an operational perspective, these methods often increased the risk of spills, splashes, vapour release and environmental contamination.
For decades, these risks were considered unavoidable when handling chemicals. Today, that mindset is changing.
Increasingly, businesses are examining every stage of the product lifecycle and asking a fundamental question: if safer methods exist, why continue accepting unnecessary exposure risks? This shift is being driven by legislation and by the growing understanding that safer handling often delivers operational and financial benefits alongside improved compliance.
Regulation is driving higher standards
The UK’s regulatory framework imposes significant obligations on organisations handling hazardous substances. REACH, COSHH and COMAH require businesses to identify, assess and control hazardous materials risks.
The UK’s COMAH regime governs sites handling dangerous substances, requiring operators to demonstrate all measures are taken to prevent major accidents and limit their consequences.
However, compliance expectations continue to evolve. Today, organisations are expected to demonstrate that chemicals are safely stored and transported, and exposure risks controlled throughout routine activities. This creates greater scrutiny around how chemicals are transferred, dispensed and applied.
A routine transfer operation may only take a few minutes, yet it is repeated hundreds of times each week. Small improvements in containment can therefore deliver significant cumulative reductions in operator exposure and product waste.
Why transfer systems are attracting attention
One area receiving increasing attention is closed transfer systems. Industry expert Richard Garnett, who develops transfer technologies for plant protection products, notes closed transfer systems can reduce operator and environmental contamination by approximately 98 per cent, compared with conventional open handling methods.
Reduced exposure protects operators, reduces environmental risk and improves process consistency. It also aligns with broader industry objectives to eliminate unnecessary contact with hazardous substances wherever practicable.
Perhaps more importantly, it demonstrates that exposure reduction does not necessarily require major process redesign. In many cases, improvements can be achieved through better containment and transfer practices.
The sustainability connection
Environmental performance is another powerful driver for change. Businesses are under pressure to reduce waste, improve resource efficiency and support circular economy principles. Hazardous material transfer systems are increasingly contributing to these objectives.
One of the least visible sources of waste is residual product left behind in containers after dispensing. Traditional container designs leave product trapped inside after material is removed. While often overlooked, this residue represents lost product value and creates waste management challenges. Sectors already using advanced transfer systems show residue levels reducing from 15-20 litres in larger containers to just 100 millilitres.
The implications are substantial: reduced residue, less product waste, lower disposal costs and reduced decontamination requirements.
Moving beyond single-use packaging
The conversation around hazardous material handling is linked to packaging sustainability.
For many years, single-use industrial packaging was regarded as the simplest option. However, rising environmental expectations and increasing disposal costs are forcing businesses to reconsider.
Reusable packaging underlines that environmental improvements can be aligned with operational performance. Refillable containers can be used for up to six years, reducing plastic consumption by more than 96 per cent compared with single-use alternatives. This is particularly important as manufacturers seek practical ways to reduce Scope 3 emissions and improve supply chain sustainability.
The result is growing recognition that packaging should not simply be viewed as a transport medium, rather as part of a wider strategy for resource efficiency, environmental stewardship and risk reduction.
Standardisation is accelerating adoption
Another important development is standardisation. Historically, many transfer systems were developed independently, creating compatibility challenges between containers, dispensing equipment and application systems.
Today, the industry is moving towards standardised closures and connection systems, enabling direct integration between containers and operational equipment, reducing complexity, improving interoperability and simplifying adoption. Benefits extend beyond safety: standardisation improves efficiency, reduces training and helps organisations implement best practice more consistently.
The future of hazardous material handling
Hazardous material transfer may appear to be only one small part of operations. In reality, it sits at the centre of the industry’s most pressing priorities. Safer transfer systems can reduce exposure, minimise contamination and support regulatory compliance.
That combination is becoming difficult to ignore, and the chemical industry has already transformed how it approaches major process safety. The next phase may be defined by how effectively it eliminates risk in the movement and handling of hazardous materials. Because in modern chemical operations, the greatest opportunities for improvement no longer lie in responding to major incidents. They lie in rethinking activities that have been accepted for far too long.
For organisations committed to improving safety, sustainability and operational excellence, hazardous material transfer should no longer be viewed as a routine process. It should be recognised as a strategic opportunity to protect people, reduce waste and improve performance.
The businesses that challenge long-standing practices today will be the ones setting tomorrow’s industry standards. At WERIT UK, we see increasing demand from manufacturers looking beyond the container itself to focus on how packaging integrates safely into the entire transfer process. Technology alone cannot eliminate risk. Safe transfer depends equally on training, standard operating procedures, and a culture in which operators understand why every connection, seal, and transfer matters.
