About us
About Hg Ops GmbH
Hg Ops was established in 2025 to provide businesses with the expertise and resources necessary to manage toxic mercury safely and effectively in the workplace.
The company supports organisations in developing comprehensive mercury management plans, identifying legally compliant and environmentally sound solutions for mercury-containing waste and implementing strategies to protect both workers and the environment from mercury’s toxic effects. Hg Ops is committed to keeping clients informed of the latest advancements in research, technology, legislation, and best practices related to mercury management.
Leveraging real practical experience and an extensive global network of leading specialists, Hg Ops delivers services wherever clients are located:
- Management of and consultancy on your project
- Environmentally sound transport, treatment and disposal of mercury wastes
- Basel Convention Paperwork and Logistics Management
- Analysis of mercury in gases, liquids, and solids
- Decontamination of mercury from industrial assets
- Environmental and risk assessments specific to mercury exposure and releases
- Development and application of technologies to protect workers from mercury’s toxic effects
Hg Ops stands as a trusted partner for organizations seeking practical, scientifically grounded, and sustainable solutions to the challenges posed by mercury.
About David Hunter
David Hunter is the founder of Hg Ops and a recognised authority on managing mercury in the industry and the workplace. With over two decades of hands-on experience, he has built a career dedicated to understanding, mitigating, and safely handling mercury as a toxin, waste and contaminant across multiple industries.
David began working with mercury in 2004, initially focusing on the research and application of mercury decontamination techniques in the oil and gas sector. His expertise expanded into engineering and leading large-scale decontamination projects, including the development of safety protocols for refinery and production facility turnarounds where mercury was present as a critical contaminant.
He has contributed to the creation of comprehensive mercury waste management plans and has conducted audits to assess mercury contamination across oil and gas fields. He also set-up and managed a decontamination facility in southern Thailand dedicated to the safe removal of mercury from assets and complex equipment such as intelligent pipeline inspection guages (PIGs).
David has contributed pioneering work on mercury deposition within pipelines and production facilities, as well as techniques for removing mercury from contaminated steel infrastructure to enable safe decommissioning and recycling.
During his tenure with a leading mercury waste management comapany based in Switzerland, David maanged one of the world’s largest mercury waste clean-up initiatives, overseeing the environmentally sound treatment of more than 4,700 tonnes of mercury waste. Working with stakeholders and partners around the world, this project involved the safe sorting, repacking, transport, stabilisation, and permanent disposal of mercury in compliance with international regulations under the Basel and Minamata Conventions.
There he also managed the Mercury Centre, where he directed operations for stabilising liquid mercury as mercury sulphide, led a decontamination project for the chlor-alkali industry, audited mercury waste streams at clients sites globally, and developed the oil & gas business focused on the recycling of mixed metal sulphide mercury guards.
Today, David supports the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Global Mercury Partnership’s Oil & Gas Working Group. He also contributes his expertise across multiple international forums addressing mercury management, safety, treatment, and waste reduction.
David founded Hg Ops in 2025 to bring industry scientific expertise and practical solutions, ensuring that businesses worldwide have access to safe, effective, and sustainable methods for managing mercury in the workplace.
Alongside his professional work, David maintains a deep interest in the historical applications of mercury, its toxicological and environmental impacts, global trade and supply chains, and the development of new technologies for its safe handling. He remains committed to engaging with stakeholders worldwide to advance knowledge, improve safety, and support innovation in this highly specialised and complex field.