An official from the Ministry of Emergency Management provides an interpretation of the “Opinions on Comprehensively Strengthening Work on Safe Production of Hazardous Chemicals.”

Release Date:

2020-02-28

Recently, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued the “Opinions on Comprehensively Strengthening Work on the Safe Production of Hazardous Chemicals” and circulated a notice requiring all regions and departments to earnestly implement these measures in light of their specific circumstances.

Why were these guidelines issued? What requirements and measures do they set forth, and how will their implementation be ensured? An official from the Ministry of Emergency Management provided an explanation on the 27th.

Preventing and defusing systemic security risks at the source

China is the world’s largest chemical-producing country, with 210,000 enterprises engaged in the production and operation of hazardous chemicals, covering more than 2,800 different types. However, poor overall safety conditions, low management standards, and a high concentration of major safety risks and hidden dangers have resulted in frequent serious and extremely serious accidents.

“The opinions focus on addressing fundamental, root‑cause, and bottleneck issues in the safe production of hazardous chemicals, comprehensively elevating the level of safe development, and fostering a sustained and steady improvement in workplace safety, thereby creating a secure and stable environment for economic and social development,” said the official.

The official stated that, with regard to preventing and mitigating systemic safety risks associated with hazardous chemicals at the source, the guidelines propose measures in four key areas:

First, ensure strict safety‑related access criteria. Clearly stipulate that each region should adopt a targeted approach—knowing what to pursue and what to refrain from—and define the strategic positioning of its chemical industry. Establish a coordination and communication mechanism for formulating chemical‑industry development plans, involving departments such as development and reform, industry and information technology, natural resources, ecological environment, housing and urban–rural development, and emergency management.

Second, we will enforce rigorous standards and regulations. We will develop construction standards, accreditation criteria, and management measures for chemical industrial parks. We will also integrate safety production standards across the chemical, petrochemical, and pharmaceutical sectors to address inconsistencies and establish a sound, comprehensive safety production standard system for hazardous chemicals.

Third, we will advance industrial restructuring. All regions shall, in light of their specific circumstances, formulate, revise, and rigorously enforce the “prohibition, restriction, and control” catalog for hazardous chemicals. In conjunction with deepening supply-side structural reform, they will, in accordance with the law, phase out production capacity that fails to meet national and industry safety standards, thereby effectively mitigating risks.

Fourth, we will conduct in-depth safety risk assessments. We will rigorously enforce the leadership responsibilities of local Party committees and governments and implement the strictest measures for remediation and rectification. We will formulate implementation plans and launch a three-year campaign to enhance chemical safety.

Strengthen the intrinsic safety of hazardous chemicals.

China’s chemical industry has developed in a largely unregulated and rudimentary manner, with small and medium-sized enterprises accounting for more than 80% of the sector. There is a severe shortage of specialized talent, and the level of intrinsic safety remains low.

The official stated that the opinions put forward four measures to strengthen the fundamental safeguards for the safety of hazardous chemicals:

First, we will enhance the level of science and technology and informationization, strengthen research support for the safety of hazardous chemicals, and conduct fundamental and forward-looking studies.

Second, we will strengthen the training of specialized professionals and implement an action plan to enhance safety skills, designating workers in the chemical and hazardous‑chemical industries as a priority group under the occupational skills‑upgrading initiative for high‑risk sectors.

Third, we will standardize the technical service coordination mechanism, introduce market-based approaches, and provide management and technical services to enterprises handling hazardous chemicals. We will establish standardized guidelines for expert technical services and deliver targeted guidance and support through tiered and categorized measures.

Fourth, we will strengthen the development of emergency response teams for hazardous chemicals, coordinate national integrated fire and rescue forces with specialized hazardous‑chemical response units, and rationally plan and establish emergency rescue bases that are anchored in chemical industrial parks, serve surrounding areas, and cover major storage zones.

“The failure to implement enterprises’ principal responsibility for workplace safety is the primary cause of hazardous chemical accidents. To comprehensively elevate the level of workplace safety in the handling of hazardous chemicals, it is essential to focus on enterprises as the key responsible entities and strengthen the enforcement of accountability,” said the official. To this end, the guidelines stipulate strict accountability, enhanced measures to curb dishonest behavior, and rigorous regulatory oversight. At the same time, incentive mechanisms will be strengthened, including raising the standards for the allocation of safety‑production funds by enterprises engaged in the production and storage of hazardous chemicals.

Strictly enforce supervisory and management responsibilities.

The official stated that the safety of hazardous chemicals involves a long supply chain and numerous links, and that all relevant departments must adhere to the principle of “safety oversight is required for every industry, every line of business, and every stage of production and operation,” implementing comprehensive safety regulation across all entities, all types of chemicals, and the entire supply chain.

It is imperative to strengthen the implementation of responsibilities and, in strict accordance with the principles of “three musts” and “whoever is in charge shall be responsible,” assume full accountability for the safety regulation of hazardous chemicals. The measures and tasks set forth in these guidelines must be broken down and refined, with clear timelines and roadmaps established, and the formulation of supporting systems, measures, and procedures accelerated.

It is necessary to improve the regulatory system and mechanisms, with all relevant departments assuming their respective safety oversight responsibilities in accordance with the Regulations on the Safety Management of Hazardous Chemicals.

It is necessary to improve the law enforcement system: at the provincial level, emergency management departments shall, in principle, not establish separate law enforcement units, with their internal divisions assuming responsibility for safety production supervision and enforcement; at the city and county levels, emergency management departments generally adopt an integrated “bureau‑team” structure.

To enhance regulatory effectiveness, it is necessary to strengthen and standardize ongoing and post‑event supervision. Building on full‑coverage oversight of enterprises handling hazardous chemicals, a tiered, categorized, and dynamically rigorous regulatory approach should be implemented.

“To ensure the effective implementation of these guidelines, all localities and relevant departments should formulate detailed rules for their execution, strengthen oversight and performance assessments, and integrate the key provisions into safety‑production inspections and evaluations, thereby driving tangible results,” said the official.