Chemical incidents are never “just” compliance failures, and this understanding sits at the core of Nuwan Tharaka Weerasinghe’s work as a chemical safety, dangerous goods, HAZMAT and CBRNE consultant based in Sri Lanka. As Principal Consultant at HAZMAT Advisor, he has supported more than 40 industrial facilities, ports, logistics providers and government agencies to design safer plants, warehouses and emergency response systems that protect people, critical assets and reputation when real emergencies occur.

Over nearly a decade in chemical safety and security, Nuwan has specialized in hazardous materials (HAZMAT) management, dangerous goods logistics and CBRNE emergency preparedness across manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, food, energy, engineering and public-sector environments. His work covers chemical risk assessments, HAZOP and process safety reviews, spill management, emergency planning and practical, scenario-based training for teams that handle hazardous chemicals every day.

Nuwan designs and implements chemical safety, HAZMAT and dangerous goods management systems, including inventories, SOPs, warehouse design, segregation, spill control and emergency drill programs, often aligned with ISO-based HSE requirements. He is a lead auditor for ISO 45001 and ISO 14001, a certified member of IOSH, and integrates these frameworks into robust EHS and risk management systems for his clients.

In addition to industrial consulting, Nuwan supports police, military, fire and regulatory authorities with capability building in chemical safety, chemical security and CBRNE emergency management, and has delivered lectures and exercises for government defence agencies on chemical threat recognition, incident management and multi-agency hazardous materials response. His expertise is reinforced by the NEBOSH International Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety and specialized international training in HAZMAT and CBRNE-related topics, positioning him as a go-to advisor for organizations seeking to improve chemical safety, dangerous goods compliance and emergency readiness.

Driven by the gaps he observed in practice, Nuwan also goes beyond consulting by creating platforms to raise awareness and share knowledge on chemical safety, dangerous goods, HAZMAT and CBRNE. He has founded a non-profit magazine initiative to highlight lessons learned, good practices and emerging risks, reflecting his commitment to improving safety culture across the wider chemical community.

Building on this mission, Nuwan also founded Sri Lanka’s premier HAZMAT services provider, HAZMAT Advisor, under a long-term vision to strengthen national chemical safety and security resilience. His goal is to position Sri Lanka as a regional hub for naval HAZMAT response, maritime chemical safety, and dangerous goods services for the shipping and logistics sector across Asia.

At the international level, he prepared and presented a joint NGO statement at the OPCW’s 29th Conference of States Parties proposing a digital monitoring platform for chemical safety and security, designed to track chemicals across their lifecycle and reduce opportunities for harmful and unauthorized use through structured monitoring and traceability.

Nuwan has also contributed to global peer-exchange efforts, including expert engagement in hospital preparedness for CBRN emergencies initiatives such as WHO-supported peer-exchange programs on strengthening hospital emergency response and health-system resilience for CBRN events. These contributions reflect his broader vision: using digital innovation, professional education and international collaboration to make chemical safety, HAZMAT and CBRNE risk management more proactive, transparent and effective worldwide.