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On December 31, 2025, China's Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) released a notification soliciting public feedback on the draft national standard titled GB XXXXX—XXXX Safety technical requirements for warehouse storage of hazardous chemical reagents. This draft standard aims to establish specific safety protocols for the storage of small-package chemical reagents, addressing gaps in current regulations that primarily focus on bulk industrial chemicals. The consultation period is open until March 2, 2026.
Background
Currently, the primary standard governing chemical storage in China is GB 15603 General Rules for the Hazardous Chemical Warehouse Storage. However, GB 15603 is designed for large-scale industrial products and lacks specific provisions for the high-variety, small-volume nature of chemical reagents (estimated at over 100,000 varieties in circulation). The proposed standard introduces targeted requirements for shelving and specialized storage cabinets to better manage risks associated with reagent warehousing.
Key Points of the Draft Standard
1. Definition and Scope
The draft standard defines "Hazardous Chemical Reagents" as solid or liquid hazardous chemicals used for teaching, scientific research, and analysis, with a package specification of no more than 25kg or 25L. The standard applies specifically to production and operation (trading) enterprises that maintain storage facilities for these reagents.
2. Storage Methods and Equipment
The draft standard introduces detailed technical specifications for storage infrastructure:
Shelf Storage: Shelves must be made of non-combustible materials. Shelves holding flammable/explosive reagents require anti-static grounding, while those holding corrosives need anti-corrosion treatment. Aisle widths between shelves must be at least 0.8m.
Specialized Storage Cabinets: The draft limits the maximum storage quantity per cabinet to 450L. Cabinets for flammables must feature double-walled steel construction with a fire resistance rating of at least 30 minutes. All cabinets must include spill containment sumps (holding 110% of the largest container volume or 10% of the total volume, whichever is greater).
3. Storage Compatibility and Segregation (Appendix A)
The draft standard proposes a new "Storage Category" system based on GHS classifications but optimized for storage logic.
Small Package Rule: For reagents with initial packaging ≤ 5kg or 5L that do not constitute a Major Hazard Source, enterprises can follow the simplified compatibility matrix provided in Table A.2 of this draft standard.
Large Package Rule: If packaging exceeds 5kg/5L, or if the storage unit constitutes a Major Hazard Source, the stricter compatibility requirements of GB 15603 apply.
Strict Segregation: Specific high-risk categories (e.g., Explosives, Self-reactive substances Type A/B, Organic Peroxides Type A/B, Pyrophoric liquids/solids) must be stored in separate, dedicated warehouses or cabinets.
4. Operational Restrictions
The draft standard explicitly prohibits opening bottles, sampling, dividing, or repackaging hazardous chemical reagents within the warehouse area.
While the standard is currently in the draft phase, the drafting committee has suggested a transitional period of 6 months between the official publication date and the implementation date. Stakeholders are encouraged to review their current storage infrastructure against these new technical requirements to prepare for future compliance.
