Speaking at an offline conference focusing on China Hazchem regulatory updates held in Shanghai on March 27, 2024, Mr. Chen Jinhe from the National Registration Center for Chemicals (NRCC) of the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) highlighted the 2024 work plan for the special inspection of safety management targeting 28 hazardous chemicals throughout their manufacture, import, operation and use, covering the compliance with the following obligations:
Hazchem registration,
Labeling,
Safety data sheet (SDS),
Hazard identification and classification,
Precautionary label for storage sites, etc.
According to Mr. Chen, the inspection results of 2023 shown that GHS label and SDS were the most prone to compliance issues. Moreover, Mr. Chen pointed out that the storage of chemical agents and additives that are used to produce hazardous chemicals will also be a key inspection item. They are considered as raw materials and shall be stored at specific warehouses with the corresponding precautionary label.
Detailed schedule of the 2024 special inspection is as below:
By the end of March 2024
Target enterprises shall conduct self-inspection based on the inspection content and rectify any issues found during the self-inspection, and promptly report the relevant information in this regard via the Hazardous Chemical Registration Comprehensive Service System. Target enterprises include:
Fine chemical enterprises that have newly started production or have been involved in industrial transfers in the past three years;
Chemical enterprises engaged in the manufacturing of chemical reagents, additives, and specialty chemicals;
Enterprises engaged in lithium battery electrolyte production.
By the end of August 2024
The departments of emergency management at all levels will comprehensively inspect the implementation status of obligations to the abovementioned target enterprises and retrospectively check the clues of illegal behaviors. Spot checks will be carried out on other aspects in the Hazchem safety management, e.g., storage. For detected and verified violations, administrative penalties will be imposed on involved enterprises.
By the end of October 2024
Through the inspection carried out on these enterprises, the local departments of emergency management will strengthen the supervision and verify the implementation status of their obligations, as well as provide the corresponding compliance guidance.
By the end of November 2024
The departments of emergency management at the provincial level will develop a report to summarize the effect of special inspection and law enforcement and submit the reports to the MEM.
The official notice can be accessed here. The 28 target hazardous chemicals are shown in the figure below.
