Previously on February 25 this year, the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) and the Standardization Administration of China (SAC) jointly issued the Basic Requirements for Safety Technologies of Enterprises Handling Hazardous Chemicals Business (GB18265-2019) [1] to replace the Operation Conditions and Technical Requirements for Enterprises Handling Hazardous Chemicals Business (GB18265-2000) [2]. The standard is scheduled to be effective starting from November 1, 2019.
In contrast to GB18265-2000 which applied to any enterprise handling hazardous chemicals, the new standard involves only basic requirements of safety technologies concerning location, construction and facilities of hazardous chemical warehouses and stores of enterprises handling hazardous chemicals business. It is specifically provided that GB 28265-2019 is not applicable to gas stations, oil depots or hazardous chemical stores without display of physical products or selling products online.
Meanwhile, adjustments have been made to requirements in several aspects, including location of warehouses, internal and external distances, inventories of warehouses, safety facilities, etc. Some requirements in GB18265-2000 are removed from the new standard, including those for transport of hazardous chemicals, qualification of relevant employees, internal safety management of enterprises, waste disposal and license for operation of hazardous chemicals, mostly because they have been explicitly stipulated in the other regulations or standards.
