Taiwan Updates Toxic Chemical Response and Detection/Alarm Equipment Regulations

On 8 Mar 2018, Taiwan EPA published the revised Management Regulations for the Response Equipment and Detection and Alarm Equipment for Toxic Chemical Substances.

The regulation was promulgated on 17 Dec 2007 pursuant to Article 19 of the Toxic Chemical Substances Control Act (Taiwan TCSCA). It was formulated to govern the installation, operation, inspection, maintenance and record-keeping, etc. with regard to response equipment and detection and alarm devices.

It has been more than ten years since the publication. The draft proposal was issued for public comments in July of 2017 and finally approved in March of 2018. The updates came into effect immediately with the exception of Article 3 to 7 and Article 12 and Article 13 which will be effective one year later. It will help to standardize the installation of response equipment and detection and alarm devices, and improve the self-management capacity of operators and thus reduce risks in the workplace.

The major updates are summarized as below.

1. Adding definitions of new terms: e.g. containment equipment for emergency response, portable leak detection equipment, safety barrier system, leakage treatment system, backup power and self-recording apparatus, etc.;

2. Specifying the number of personal protective equipment and respirators required in a workplace;

3. Supplementing operation requirements for hydrogen cyanide and fluorine that the use of a safety barrier system and leakage treatment system are necessary to reduce risks;

4. Supplementing requirements for monitoring of external pipeline flow pressure;

5. Supplementing requirements for operators to review regularly the settings and operation plans of response equipment, detection and alarm equipment;

6. Revising structure and function specifications for detection and alarm equipment;

7. Adding requirements for response equipment, detection and alarm equipment in terms of test and calibration;

8. For manufacture, use and storage of dinoseb, aniline, chromium trioxide, phthalic anhydride, dimethyl sulfate, tributyltin oxide and other toxic chemical substances, the additional provisions of detection and alarm equipment previously stipulated are deleted;