EXPLOSION SAFETY
used in the production of specialist chemicals and manufacturing processes, including applications involving lightweight component production and sensor technologies.
Despite its widespread industrial use, the chemical presents significant handling and storage challenges due to its corrosive nature. Exposure to incompatible materials or inadequate containment systems can accelerate equipment degradation, leading to infrastructure damage, leaks and potentially hazardous releases. In the event of spills or containment failures, ferric chloride can generate corrosive vapours that present additional operational and safety risks. As a result, infrastructure consideration is critical when managing ferric chloride throughout industrial processes. Storage tanks, transfer systems, pumps and pipework must be constructed using corrosion-resistant materials capable of withstanding prolonged chemical exposure to minimise the risk of system failure. One of the growing challenges facing manufacturers is that while production processes, materials and technologies continue to evolve rapidly, safety procedures and chemical management practices do not always keep pace. As sectors such as aerospace, rail and automotive accelerate innovation through advanced materials, lightweight components, battery technologies and increasingly sophisticated manufacturing techniques, the hazardous substances being introduced into facilities are also changing. In many cases, however, storage infrastructure, handling procedures and waste processes may have been implemented years earlier when facilities were originally established or designed around very different operational requirements. Processes that were once considered appropriate can quickly become outdated if they are not regularly reviewed, creating potential blind spots around chemical compatibility, containment infrastructure and operational risk. Regular reassessment of hazardous material management is therefore becoming increasingly important to ensure safety systems evolve alongside manufacturing environments rather than lag behind them.
The risks also extend beyond infrastructure and equipment and into workforce safety. Direct contact with ferric chloride can result in severe skin burns and eye damage, while exposure to vapours may cause irritation to the eyes, nose, throat and respiratory system, particularly in poorly ventilated environments.
Appropriate PPE, ventilation controls and handling procedures are essential safeguards for personnel working with the compound. Meanwhile, from a storage perspective, ferric chloride should be kept within tightly sealed, corrosion-resistant containers, stored in cool, dry and well-ventilated environments away from direct sunlight.
Separation from incompatible substances, including metals, alkalis, strong oxidising agents and reducing agents, is also essential to reduce the risk of unwanted chemical reactions. Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical that also presents unique challenges across industrial manufacturing due to its reactive nature and widespread use in surface preparation, cleaning and material processing.
As a powerful oxidising agent, contamination or exposure to elevated temperatures can trigger rapid decomposition, generating gases that create pressure build-up and increase the risk of explosion. Where combustible materials are also present, incidents can escalate quickly, making temperature control, ventilation and segregation essential considerations throughout storage and handling processes.
IMPLEMENTING BEST PRACTICES
For manufacturers operating within high-risk environments, however, materials management extends far beyond storage alone. Aerospace, rail, automotive and wider industrial sectors increasingly face pressure to improve visibility across hazardous material streams while maintaining compliance, efficiency and operational resilience.
A comprehensive review of material flows and waste streams is often the starting point. Many manufacturers continue to operate using legacy handling models or reactive processes simply because they lack the time, resources or operational visibility needed to fully assess
how hazardous materials move throughout sites. Without this understanding, opportunities to reduce waste, improve reuse and eliminate inefficiencies are often missed.
Tracking and traceability therefore play an increasingly important role within hazardous manufacturing environments. Robust segregation at the point of generation helps prevent cross- contamination and ensures materials can be handled according to their specific storage, treatment and regulatory requirements. Maintaining clear documentation and audit trails throughout storage, movement and disposal processes is extremely important and this paperwork will provide manufacturers with greater accountability while supporting regulatory compliance. Technology, monitoring systems and workforce education also have an important role to play. Employees must understand not only how to identify and segregate hazardous materials correctly, but also why these processes matter. Better visibility across material streams allows manufacturers to identify opportunities for reuse, improve circularity initiatives and move away from reactive operational models towards more proactive risk management strategies. Ultimately, as
manufacturing environments become increasingly complex, organisations that combine robust segregation processes with stronger tracking capabilities and greater operational visibility will be better positioned to improve safety outcomes while maintaining efficiency and compliance.
Envirovue
envirovue.io
INDUSTRIAL COMPLIANCE |SUMMER/AUTUMN 2026 33
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36
