Key new EHS Regulations and Standards of China in July

Regulations:

Management Measures on Hazardous Chemicals Registration (Revision)

The SAWS promulgated the newly amended Management Measures on Hazardous Chemicals Registration on 1 July 2012, which became effective on 1 August 2012. The Management Measures on Hazardous Chemicals Registration issued by the former State Economic and Trade Committee on 8 October 2002 was abolished at same time.

As compared with the 2002 version of Management Measures, amendments are mainly made

in the following five areas:  

I. Adjustment of the main bodies required to register hazardous chemicals;

After the amendment, the main bodies required to register hazardous chemicals are changed to enterprises that produce or import hazards chemicals. Enterprises that store or use hazards

chemicals no longer need to register.

II. Detailing the contents of registration of hazardous chemicals;

The new Measures adjust the contents of registration of hazardous chemicals to include classification and labelling information, physical and chemical properties, main purpose, hazardous properties, safety requirements for storage/usage/transportation, emergency response measures, etc.

III. Improvement of the procedure for hazardous chemicals registration;

The new Measures improve and supplement the procedure for hazardous chemicals registration.

IV. Standardized emergency consultation services for the registration companies;

The new Measures provide that registered companies must et up their own emergency consultation service telephonevhotlines, which should meet following criteria:

i. It has personnel on duty 24 hours a day, to ensure that the company can be reached in time if an incident occurs;

ii. The hotline should be a domestic telephone number, to ensure that the company can promptly respond if the company needs to attend to the site for rescue and support;

iii. The service hotline should be a fixed telephone line.

If the hotline is a mobile phone line, then there is no guarantee that the person who answers

call can respond in time and provide accurate and valuable emergency response information if an incident occurs;

iv. The personnel on duty should be familiar with the hazardous characteristics of hazardous chemicals of the company and emergency response techniques, and be able to accurately answer related inquiries. Registered hazardous chemicals companies that cannot provide the required emergency consultation services should engage an emergency services agency.

V. Addition of supervision and management requirements.

Management Measures on Hazardous Chemicals Business Permits (Revision)

The amended Management Measures on Hazardous Chemicals Business Permits was promulgated by the SAWS on 17 July 2012, and will become effective on 1 September

2012. The Management Measures on Hazardous Chemicals Business Permits issued by the former State Economic and Trade Committee on 8 October 2002 will be abolished at the same

time.

The new Measures replace the original permit types (Classes A and B) with six business types; clearly defines the scope of responsibilities of issuing authorities at the provincial, municipal

and county levels; raises the requirements for applications for hazardous chemicals business permits; adds requirements as to change of application criteria and procedures for hazardous

chemicals business permits if there is a change to the company information; strengthens the

supervision and management of business permits.

Shanghai: Catalogue of Prohibited, Restricted and Controlled Hazardous Chemicals in Shanghai – First Batch (Trial)

Recently, the Shanghai Administration of Safety issued the Catalogue of Prohibited, Restricted and Controlled Hazardous Chemicals in Shanghai – First Batch (Trial), which became effective from the date of issuance and is valid until 30 June 2013.

According to the catalogue, the first batch of prohibited, restricted and controlled hazardrous chemicals covers a total of 468 types of hazardous chemicals; there is a prohibition on the production, storage, sales, transport and use of 139 types of such hazardous chemicals within

the city; there is a prohibition on the production, storage, sales (except wholesale), ransportation

and use of 170 types of such hazardous chemicals (except for chemical reagents) within the outer

ring; there is a prohibition on the retail of 159 types of such hazardous chemicals (except for chemical reagents) within the outer ring.

The catalogue was developed based on the existing Catalogue of Hazardous Chemicals (2002 Edition). It will be amended when the state releases an updated Catalogue of Hazardous Chemicals.

Standards:

Emission Standards of Pollutants for Coking Chemical Industries GB 16171－2012, effective from October 1^st, 2012.

For further enqiury or if any question, please feel free to contact us.