24 chemical enterprises have halted production! Six departments in Nanjing have jointly issued new regulations mandating the suspension of production and business operations, as well as closure and exit.

Recently, the Nanjing Municipal Emergency Management Bureau, in collaboration with the Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, the Public Security Bureau, the Ecological Environment Bureau, the Market Supervision Administration, and the Fire and Rescue Detachment, took the lead across the province in issuing the “Administrative Measures for Safety During the Suspension, Cessation, Resumption, and Closure/Exit of Chemical (Hazardous Chemical) Enterprises in Nanjing (Trial),” which clearly defines standardized safety procedures for chemical (hazardous chemical) enterprises throughout the city during periods of suspension, cessation, resumption of production, and closure or exit, as well as corresponding joint regulatory measures by the supervisory authorities, thereby effectively preventing and mitigating major safety risks and curbing the occurrence of all types of production safety incidents.

01 Production Halted at 24 Chemical Enterprises

In recent years, as the chemical industry has undergone transformation and upgrading, and as targeted campaigns to enhance safety and environmental protection and to improve workplace safety have been vigorously implemented, chemical (hazardous chemicals) enterprises in our city have frequently experienced shutdowns, business suspensions, resumptions of production, and closures or exits from the market.

At present, there are 24 chemical enterprises in our city that have suspended production or ceased operations. During periods of suspension, cessation, resumption, or closure and exit, these facilities often face personnel changes, prolonged storage of hazardous materials without timely disposal, and inadequate maintenance and upkeep of certain instruments, equipment, and process units—issues that significantly elevate safety risks and increase the likelihood of production‑related accidents.

Applicable Entities: This Measures shall apply to all chemical (hazardous chemicals) enterprises throughout the city.

“Production shutdown” refers to the act by an enterprise of voluntarily or pursuant to an order from regulatory authorities ceasing production activities at one or more of its facilities.

“Suspension of operations” refers to the act by an enterprise, either voluntarily or pursuant to an order from the regulatory authorities, of ceasing all its production, storage, transportation, and business activities.

“Closure and exit” refers to enterprises that have been placed on the local government’s list for closure and exit due to issues such as industrial policies, adjustments to planning and spatial layout, safety concerns, or environmental protection requirements.

02 Enterprises that have ceased production or business operations must ensure that all materials are cleared out.

Enterprises that, on their own or by order, are required to suspend production and operations for rectification for a period of 180 days or longer shall, within 180 days, remove all residual materials from their facilities, equipment, and warehouses.

Enterprises that have either voluntarily or by order suspended production and operations for more than 180 days shall, within 30 days from the date of issuance of this notice, remove all residual materials from their facilities, equipment, and warehouses.

For all discarded hazardous chemicals that have been confirmed as unable to be reallocated for continued use in other units and have undergone safety‑stabilization pretreatment, timely reporting to the ecological and environmental authorities is required. Furthermore, in accordance with relevant regulations on the management of hazardous waste, proper procedures for declaration, storage, and transfer‑disposal must be implemented.

Materials with properties such as spontaneous combustibility, self-reactivity, self-polymerization, self‑heating, or explosive hazards shall be promptly handled and disposed of within 30 days of the cessation of production and business operations, and may not be stored.

During periods of production or business suspension, with the exception of electricity required for fire protection, emergency response, lighting, technical security measures, and essential functions such as cooling and thermal insulation, all other power supplies shall be disconnected. The main and branch circuit breakers shall be sequentially switched to the OFF position, and dedicated personnel shall be assigned to conduct inspections and maintenance.
 

03 Failure to clean up promptly will result in stricter oversight.

Enterprises that, following suspension of production, cessation of operations, or closure and exit, have failed to empty materials from their equipment, storage tanks, and warehouses will be placed on a joint, multi‑agency list for prioritized oversight and inspection. Emergency management, environmental protection, public security, market regulation, fire safety, and other relevant departments at all levels shall regulate such entities in accordance with the standards applied to normally operating chemical (hazardous chemical) enterprises, and conduct regular joint inspections of the enterprises’ and their facilities’ safety conditions.

Enterprises that have been ordered to suspend production or operations for more than one year, and which, following on-site verification by the relevant authorities, still fail to meet safety, environmental protection, fire‑safety, and other regulatory requirements and are unable to implement corrective measures, shall all be placed on the list of entities to be shut down and phased out.

04 Enterprises resuming work and production must pass the “safety checkpoint”

Not only must a dedicated plan be prepared, but expert reviews must be thorough, risk assessments must be sound, inspections must be conducted, and all relevant administrative approvals and change‑of‑use procedures must be complete and valid—none of these elements can be omitted.

Enterprises or facilities that have voluntarily suspended production or operations for more than 180 days must also submit a written application for resuming production and work, along with the relevant supporting documents, to the local government. Enterprises ordered to suspend production or operations that seek to resume shall submit a written application for resumption, together with the requisite documentation, to the authority that issued the suspension order; resumption of production and operations shall be permitted only after on-site verification and confirmation by the competent authorities.

05 Equipment related to degraded enterprises shall not be leased.

Closed and decommissioned enterprises shall not resume production or operations at any unit, tank farm, warehouse, equipment, or facility.

It is necessary to strengthen on-site safety management, stabilize the management and technical personnel, and ensure that the principal person in charge, as well as those who are proficient in management, technology, and operations, remain at their posts until the equipment and facilities have been safely dismantled.

Prior to the dismantling of installations, equipment, and facilities, no factory buildings, workshops, ancillary premises, warehouses, or other structures, nor any installations, storage tanks, or other equipment and facilities slated for demolition, may be leased or loaned to any entity, organization, or individual.

It is prohibited to use structures, equipment, and facilities slated for demolition to engage in any production or business activities that violate laws or regulations.

Within ten working days from the date of suspension of production and business operations, an application shall be submitted to the relevant regulatory authorities for the cancellation of its licenses related to work safety, environmental protection, industrial products, and other matters.

Source: Nanjing Emergency Management