Dr Josh Wardrop

Areas of expertise

• Aerospace Manufacturing
• CBRN Focus Areas
• Defence manufacturing
• Environmental Impacts
• Environmental Defence
• Explosives and Munitions
• Process Systems Engineering
• Safety, Resilience, Risk & Reliability
• Sustainable Manufacturing
• Toxicology & Epidemiology
• Water Science and Engineering

Background

Josh is a Lecturer in Environmental and Safety Management at Cranfield University, with a background that bridges chemistry, chemical engineering, and safety systems. His career has been shaped by a fascination with high-hazard processes and a commitment to making them safer, more sustainable, and better managed. Previously, he worked in technical consultancy (supporting a range of clients involved in chemical processes and hazardous materials), fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) manufacturing, aerospace, and defence, giving him practical insight into the challenges of applying safety, sustainability, and hazard management principles in many complex, high-risk industries.

He works at the interface of research, teaching, and industry, specialising in hazard management, chemical safety, environmental management, and explosives safety. He teaches and leads a range of MSc modules and professional short courses, and enjoys integrating real-world case studies and applied research into the classroom. His work spans defence, industrial, and environmental contexts, with a strong focus on sustainability and practical solutions that create real impact.

Beyond his academic role, Josh serves as Chair of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Bristol and Bath Local Section, promoting chemical sciences through outreach, networking, and professional development. Whether in the lecture theatre, the lab, or the wider community, he is committed to bridging the gap between theory and practice in environmental and safety management.

Research opportunities

Josh's research focuses on the sustainable management of high-hazard processes and hazardous materials across defence, industrial, and environmental sectors. He specialises in chemical safety, hazard management, and explosives safety, with expertise in safety risk assessment and the integration of sustainability principles into safety and environmental management systems.

He is particularly interested in sustainable design approaches for managing risk in high-hazard scenarios, the development of advanced hazard and risk assessment tools, and the application of lifecycle thinking to environmental and safety management. His work bridges the gap between theoretical safety science and practical implementation, supporting both regulatory compliance and long-term sustainability objectives.

Specific research interests include:

- Sustainable management of high-hazard industrial or defence processes / systems,

- Implementing circular economic principles into designs or processes,

- Explosives safety and vulnerability design,

- Applied safety systems engineering,

- Safety risk assessment methods and decision-support tools,

- Environmental fate and transport of hazardous materials,

- Sustainable remediation and mitigation strategies for environmental contamination,

- Hazardous waste management,

- Integration of sustainability into safety and environmental management systems,

- Application of lifecycle thinking to projects,

- Incident preparedness, response, and recovery in complex environments.

Publications

• Articles in journals