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On May 25, 2022, the Transport Division, Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) issued a notice to solicit public comments on the draft revision to the Administrative Measures for the Storage of Dangerous Goods Transported by Air (previously issued on October 8, 2018 and came into force on January 1, 2019). As proposed, it will be renamed as the Administrative Measures for the Temporary Storage of Dangerous Goods Transported by Air (hereinafter referred to as the Measures). Comments are welcome before June 17, 2022.
The storage methods of dangerous goods by air are obviously different from the storage methods of dangerous goods for production, sales and operation. Therefore, to further standardize the management for the temporary storage safety of dangerous goods by air is an important task for the authority. From May 2021 to April 2022, the Measures has been drafted and revised four times according to the comments solicited form the airlines, airports, government departments, etc. This revision to the Measures further clarifies stakeholders' responsibilities, and optimizes specific rules on the personnel training, site selection, facilities and equipment, supervision and management, etc.
The Measures is drafted based on the following laws and regulations:
Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air (ICAO-TI),
CAAC Order No.216: Regulation on the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air (CCAR-276-R1); and
Regulation on the Public Air Transport Cargoes (CAR-276-R2, drafted in March of 2022), etc.
Main points are summarized as follows.
Who shall comply with?
The Measures is applicable to the temporary storage activities of dangerous goods by air, which are carried out by the carriers or ground handling agents.
Before carrying out the corresponding temporary storage activities,
the carriers shall obtain the permit to transport dangerous goods by air; and
the ground handling agents shall apply for record to the CAAC Regional Administrations.
Definitions of Some Terms
The following two terms used in the Measures refer to:
Dangerous goods - Packages of dangerous goods and assembled packages of dangerous goods that are specified in the ICAO-TI;
Temporary storage sites for dangerous goods by air (hereinafter referred to as storage sites)- Special storage areas, special storage warehouses or designated temporary storage areas for temporary storage of dangerous goods, which are set up in the control zones around the civil airports by the carries or ground handling agents.
Competent Authorities
The CAAC is responsible for the supervision and management of the national temporary storage activities of dangerous goods by air. The CAAC Regional Administrations are responsible for the corresponding supervision and management within their jurisdiction.
Storage Period Limits
Unless otherwise required by relevant authorities,
dangerous goods that are to be transported on domestic routes (excluding Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) shall not be stored for more than 3 months in the storage sites; and
dangerous goods that are to be transported on international routes, as well as Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, shall not be stored for more than 6 months in the storage sites.
Precautions
The carriers and ground handling agents shall do the followings:
Posting relevant labels consistent with the stored dangerous goods on the storage sites, informing relevant personnel of the hazard classes and hazard properties of the stored dangerous goods;
Posting warning marks, e.g., “No Smoking” and “No Fire”, on the conspicuous positions at the storage sites; and
Posting notification in adjacent and conspicuous positions of the storage sites to inform relevant personnel of emergency response measures and information reporting methods in the event of an emergency.
The draft amendments (in Chinese) can be accessed here.
