Hebei: Undertaking remediation and upgrading of 72 chemical industrial parks across the province.

This year marks the intensive攻坚 phase of the three-year special campaign to enhance workplace safety. In Hebei Province, particular emphasis has been placed on the hazardous chemicals sector, with efforts focused on upgrading and rectifying 72 chemical industrial parks across the province. On-site re-inspections and assessments have been conducted to evaluate and classify each park’s safety risk levels, and tailored action plans—“one plan per park”—have been developed and refined. This was announced by a reporter at a press conference held on July 20 by the Provincial Government Information Office, which reviewed Hebei’s workplace safety situation in the first half of 2021.

According to reports, this year Hebei Province’s safety supervision of hazardous chemicals is being carried out under the overarching principle of “strict regulation, precise prevention, and scientific rescue,” with a focus on “one prevention and three enhancements.” The province is prioritizing the mitigation of major risks and the improvement of intrinsic safety, workforce competence, and the level of information‑based and intelligent control, striving to achieve breakthroughs and tangible results.

Strengthen source‑level control. Establish a joint review mechanism for high‑risk hazardous chemical projects, under which the Provincial Emergency Management Department, in coordination with the Provincial Development and Reform Commission and the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, conducts pre‑filing reviews to strictly regulate the approval and registration of new projects involving “two key areas and one major hazard” and other high‑risk activities. Enhance licensing management by resolutely denying permits to enterprises that fail to meet safety requirements.

Effectively prevent major risks. Strengthen the two “joint regulatory” mechanisms: the Provincial Emergency Management Department, in collaboration with the fire authorities, conducts joint inspections of all enterprises and sites involving major hazard sources; meanwhile, in coordination with market supervision authorities, it reinforces safety oversight of pressure pipelines and pressure vessels. Two rounds of full‑coverage inspections are carried out annually, fostering synergistic regulatory efforts. Systemic risks within industrial parks are also effectively managed. Illegal activities—including construction without prior approval, operation during construction, discrepancies between approved plans and actual construction, unauthorized commissioning, unlawful leasing, and illegal storage—are rigorously cracked down upon.

Comprehensively enhance automation and intelligentization. Hebei Province has formulated the “One‑Enterprise‑One‑Plan” Transformation and Upgrading Guidelines for Hazardous Chemical Enterprises, organized enterprises to undertake automation upgrades, implemented information‑based and intelligent management, and improved the competence of personnel as well as the quality and effectiveness of safety management. All monitoring and surveillance data from chemical and pharmaceutical production enterprises across the province have been integrated into the Hazardous Chemical Safety Production Risk Monitoring and Early‑Warning System for real‑time oversight; development and deployment of intelligent supervision systems for chemical industrial parks are being accelerated to effectively manage unsafe human behaviors through smart technologies. The province is promoting the construction of an information‑based platform for the “dual control” mechanism, cultivating knowledgeable stakeholders to ensure proactive risk prevention, source‑level control, and full coverage of accountability.

Efforts are being focused on substantially enhancing the intrinsic safety of the entire industry. Hebei Province has launched an initiative to strengthen emergency response capabilities at hazardous workstations, conducting regular emergency‑response drills to improve workers’ ability to promptly and effectively address potential hazards. A comprehensive “Five‑Room” relocation and clearance campaign has been carried out to minimize the number of personnel in production unit areas, thereby effectively preventing major and above‑level production safety incidents. In addition, a program to upgrade the skills and competencies of industry personnel has been implemented, with clearer entry requirements: individuals who fail to meet the prescribed educational and professional standards will be barred from employment. Collaboration between educational institutions and enterprises has been strengthened through the establishment of industry‑education alliances, the organization of specialized training sessions, and vigorous development of practical training facilities, all aimed at significantly improving the qualifications and capabilities of enterprise safety managers and key‑position staff.

Source: Hebei News Network