The United Kingdom Lubricants Association has published new guidance governing how performance and safety claims are marketed for metalworking fluids, marking the first industry-led framework of its kind. The guidance was developed by the association’s Metalworking Fluid Product Stewardship Group in response to concerns raised by the UK Health and Safety Executive about potentially misleading product claims.
The guidance sets out expectations that marketing claims must be evidence-based, technically supportable and transparent, particularly where claims relate to health, safety or exposure risk, the association said in a press release. It follows a review by the Product Stewardship Group of marketing practices that regulators believed did not accurately reflect the potential health risks associated with some metalworking fluids.
According to the United Kingdom’s Health and Safety Executive, risks linked to poor metalworking fluid management include occupational lung disease and skin conditions such as dermatitis. Regulators emphasized that even fluids formulated without mineral oil can still pose health risks if they are misused, poorly maintained, or generate excessive mist.
Stuart Duff, chair of the Product Stewardship Group, said the guidance is intended to help end users better understand and manage metalworking fluid risks, encouraging closer engagement with reputable suppliers and a stronger focus on mist control and exposure reduction.
The Metalworking Fluid Product Stewardship Group operates within the United Kingdom Lubricants Association and brings together lubricant suppliers, academic experts, regulators, and occupational hygiene specialists. Its role is to promote safe handling, use, storage, and disposal of metalworking fluids while supporting regulatory compliance and responsible product communication across the UK manufacturing sector.
Metalworking fluids have a well-documented history of occupational health concerns. Improper fluid maintenance and mist exposure have been linked over decades to respiratory illness, hypersensitivity pneumonitis and chronic skin conditions. While fluid chemistry has evolved significantly, industry experience shows that risk is often driven less by formulation alone and more by how fluids are managed in-use, including sump hygiene, mist control and operator training.
Regulators and industry groups have repeatedly stressed that overstated “low-risk” marketing claims can undermine safe practices by downplaying these operational factors.