On December 20, 2022, the Civil Aviation Administration of China issued Measures for the Administration of Temporary Storage of Dangerous Goods by Air Transport (AC-276-TR-2022-01R1) to revise the existing Measures for the Administration of Storage of Dangerous Goods by Air Transport (AC-276-TR-2018-01). It is set to take effect on March 1, 2023 and replace the old version.
The Measures came as the temporary storage of dangerous goods in civil aviation is increasingly confronted with several prominent issues, such as overlaps in supervisory responsibilities, lack of policy support and insufficient security facilities. To further regulate and ensure the safety of temporary storage of dangerous goods by air transport, the revised document clearly defines the application scope and clarifies the main responsibilities among different parties.
As defined, the name of Measures is amended from “storage” to “temporary storage” to distinguish the fundamental difference between the activities of cargo storage and remunerative warehousing operations during air transport, which is conducive to clarifying the regulatory responsibilities of the custom supervision department. In addition, dangerous goods are defined as packages or consolidated packages of dangerous goods, excluding mail and luggage containing dangerous goods. The temporary storage does not cover the storage management of dangerous goods in aircraft, or during loading and unloading trailers and unit load devices (ULDs).
The Measures sets out requirements for carriers and ground service agents who temporarily store dangerous goods. The highlights are summarized below:
Take necessary security measures to ensure that only qualified personnel have access to the storage premise to avoid theft or improper use of dangerous goods;
Establish an electronic ledger for the storage of dangerous goods to record the UN number, name, number, weight, storage location, hazard and other relevant information;
Set up storage places, equip operation and emergency disposal facilities, and regularly test and maintain them in good condition to ensure normal availability;
Post warning signs to notify responsible personnel of the category and hazard of the stored dangerous goods (Note: warning signs such as “No Smoking” and “No Open Flame” shall be posted in visible places);
Formulate an emergency response plan for the storage of dangerous goods;
Conduct self-inspection at least once a year.
