The list of hazardous chemicals under priority management was released in steps. On 21 June 2011, the Chinese State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS) published a list of first 60 Hazardous Chemicals under Priority Management (SAWS Notice 95 of 2011). This list, combined with two other directives concerning safety measures and annual minimum use tonnage of hazardous chemicals, has by far constituted China’s current regulation of priority hazardous chemicals. 

The first batch of priority hazardous chemicals contains 60 chemicals that had been screened out of the 2002 Catalogue of Hazardous Chemicals in China and which shall meet the following conditions at the temperature of 20 °C and normal atmosphere pressure of 101.3 kPa:

1. Flammable gases, Category 1 (lower explosive limit ≤ 13% or explosion limit range ≥ 12%);

2. Flammable liquids, Category 1 (Flash point < 23℃ and initial boiling point ≤ 35℃);

3. Liquids liable to spontaneous combustion, Category 1 (liable to combustion when in contact with gas for no more than 5 minutes);

4. Solids liable to spontaneous combustion, Category 1 (liable to combustion when in contact with gas for no more than 5 minutes);

5. Substances when in contact with water emit flammable gases, Category 1 (When reacting violently with water at ambient temperature, the produced gas is usually susceptible to spontaneous combustion, Release of flammable gas is equal to or greater than the rate per kilogram of substance release within 1 minute in any 10 liters of any substance or mixture);

6. Phosgene derivatives like triphosgene, etc.

Soon later in July and October of 2011, the SAWS released two supporting directives concerning the safe use and minimum annual use quantity of the first batch priority hazardous chemicals. One is the Safety and Emergency Response Measures for the First Batch of Hazardous Chemicals under Priority Management (SAWS Notice 142 of 2011), which specified the safe use, disposal and emergency rescue methods of the listed chemicals and included descriptions of physical-chemical information, hazard information and special warnings, etc. The other is a draft list designating the annual minimum use quantities for the first batch of hazardous chemicals. This list includes use quantity limits of two additional hazardous chemicals on the basis of the first 60 priority hazardous chemicals. They are 2,2’-Azodi-(2,4-dimethyl)valeronitrile and 2,2’-Azobis(2-methylpropionitrile).

Later in Feb 2013, the second batch including 14 hazardous chemicals was released together with safety and emergency response measures for each HC listed in the second.