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The Department of Emergency and Management of Guangdong Province recently published a notice to solicit comments on the Application Specification for Safety Information Code of Hazardous Chemicals (Draft for Approval) (hereinafter referred to as the “Draft Standard”), aiming to standardize the use of the hazardous chemical safety information code* (hereinafter referred to as the “Hazchem QR Code”). Comments are welcome before July 21, 2024.
*Hazardous chemical safety information code refers to the unique QR code automatically generated after completing the hazardous chemical registration via the Hazardous Chemical Registration Comprehensive Service System launched by the National Registration Center for Chemicals (NRCC) under the MEM. It’s different from the Hazchem Traceability Code implemented in Shanghai and Beijing.
Guangdong is the first province to pilot the “One Enterprise, One Chemical Product, One QR Code” management in China, and has been fully implementing the use of Hazchem QR Code for over two years. In other provinces and cities of China, e.g., Shandong, Beijing, Shanghai, etc., pilot projects in this regard have been launched. However, so far, there are no laws, regulations, or national standards in the specialty for the Hazchem QR Code application in China. Drawing from Guangdong’s practical experience of the Hazchem QR Code application, the NRCC and the Guangdong Institute of Safety Production and Emergency Management Science and Technology jointly prepared the Draft Standard to fill the regulatory gap in addressing the Hazchem QR Code application in Guangdong. Once adopted, it is expected to be the first Hazchem QR Code application standard in China.
Compared with the Regulations on the Management of Hazardous Chemical Safety Information Codes (Trial) drafted for internal comments in 2022, the Draft Standard further clarifies the exemption criteria and provides more examples to demonstrate how to affix the Hazchem QR Code under different conditions.
Exemptions
For hazardous chemicals with a single package volume not exceeding 100 mL or 100 cm3, the Hazchem QR Code does not need to be printed or pasted on the inner packaging, however, it should be printed or pasted on the outer packaging.
For hazardous chemicals intended solely for export, the Hazchem QR Code does not need to be printed or pasted on the inner or outer packaging.
For imported hazardous chemicals directly consumed by importers, which will not leave the factory area after entering the factory's storage tanks, the Hazchem QR Code does not need to be printed or pasted on the inner or outer packaging.
For household chemical products with individual packages that can be sold separately, the Hazchem QR Code does not need to be printed or pasted on the packaging.
Examples
Below are the examples provided in the Draft Standard to help understand how to paste the Hazchem QR Code in practice.
For special products such as gas cylinders and pesticides that have other specific standards, the Hazchem QR Code should be affixed close to the product label.
For hazardous chemicals considered dangerous goods, if the outer packaging of the combination package does not have a chemical safety label, the Hazchem QR Code should be affixed next to the dangerous goods label.
For hazardous chemicals considered dangerous goods that are transported through intermediate bulk containers (IBCs), portable tanks, etc., which are without packages, the Hazchem QR Code should be affixed or hung in a prominent position on the container or transport vehicle under the conditions of ensuring operational safety and not blocking vehicle lights, license plates, etc.
Notably, for flexible packaging, the Hazchem QR Code could be printed, affixed or sewn on it. For packaged chemicals in volume over 100 mL but less than 1000 mL, a simplified Hazchem QR Code could be used.
