In replace of the former GB 18218-2000, this compulsory standard GB 18218-2009 has specified the key methods and technical basis in identifying major hazard installations for hazardous chemicals production, use, storage, operation and other associated businesses.

The identification of a major hazard installation is determined ultimately by the hazard characteristics and the quantities of a certain number of hazardous chemicals that exist in a given unit in the premise of the hazardous chemical company. Under GB 18218-2009, a given Unit of major hazardous installations (in short as “Unit”) shall be regarded a major hazard installation where the quantities of all involved hazardous chemicals equal or exceed the specified threshold value (tonne) indicated in the standard. This Unit can be one (set/s of) long-term or temporary production facilities, installations or sites within the territory of a chemical company; it can also be several (sets of) those facilities, installations or sites with a less than 500 m distance between each other and that all belong to a same chemical production entity.

GB 18218-2009 provides 2 inventories on the name and threshold value of some hazardous chemicals for the public reference to determine the identification method of major hazard installations. The first one, Figure A, lists 78 hazardous chemicals with explicit chemical names, hazard & package classification and the threshold of major hazard installation identification, of which the classification of hazard and package category has been based on GB 12268-2005, List of dangerous goods. Figure B provides specific threshold values of major hazardous installation determinants for all the other hazardous substances not listed in Figure A, in the light of GB 20592-2006, Safety rules for Classification, precautionary labeling and precautionary statements of Chemicals - Acute toxicity, one of the 26 China GHS standards on classification, labelling and precautionary statements of chemicals.

In addition, GB 18218-2009 considers two circumstances in calculating the total quantities of hazardous chemicals in a Unit: one is the single variety of hazardous chemicals in a Unit; the other is multiple varieties in a Unit.

All contents in this standard are mandatory.

This standard replaces GB 18218-2000, “Identification of major hazard installations”.

The main differences between this standard and GB 13690-1992 are as follows:

• The name has been changed to “Identification of major hazard installations for dangerous chemicals”;

• Applicable scope for this standard has expanded to processing and storing of dangerous chemical in mining industry;

• The standard is not applicable for offshore oil and gas-mining;

• Modifications on some definitions and terms;

• Reformulated the scope of dangerous chemicals;

• Revised the thresholds of dangerous chemicals;

• Cancelled the threshold differences between the workplace and the storage area;

This Standard is proposed by the State Administration of Work Safety and under the jurisdiction by National Technical Committee 288 on Safety Production of Standardization Administration of China (TC288/SC 3).

The organizations responsible for drafting this standard are National Institute of Safety Science and Technology of China and The organizations that participated in the drafting of this standard is Qingdao Safety Engineering Institute of SINOPEC.