China SAWS is consulting on 9 application documents under the Measures on Management of Safe Production Permit for Hazardous Chemicals Companies
The Chinese State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS) has revised on 23 December nine application documents related to China Hazardous Chemicals Safe Production Permit. The SAWS invites authorities of work safety at each province level to make comments on the revision before 31 December 2011.
The revised application-related documents are (in Chinese):
The Measures on Management of Safe Production Permit for Hazardous Chemicals Companies, enacted as SAWS Order No 41, had been reviewed with approval by the Chinese SAWS board meeting of directors on 22 July 2011 and consequently came into force since December 2011.
This regulation applies to companies that produce in China finished or semifinished products which are listed on the Chinese Catalogue of Hazardous Chemicals. Companies need to apply for and obtain the HC Safe Production Permit before continuing with their production or manufacturing of hazardous chemicals. Also, companies, if engaged in the use of toxic products, should still apply for and obtain an Occupational Health and Safety Permit besides the HC Safe Production Permit.
The reception offices responsible for processing permit applications generally make a decision within 45 working days after receiving an application whether to grant the Permit or not. If all requirements met, the authority will issue the Permit within 20 working days after delivering the company an “acceptance notice of processing”; or a “rejection notice of processing” will be issued to inform the applicant of the reasons in otherwise conditions.
Important requirements in applying for a HC Safe Production Permit
1. Applicant companies need to ensure that their overall layout meets the GB standards: the Code for Design of General Plot Plan and Transportation of Chemical Industrial Enterprises (GB 50489-2009); the Code for Design of General Plan of Industrial Enterprises (GB50187); and the Code for Fire Protection in Architectural Design (GB50016)
2. Applicant companies are obliged to register at NRCC-SAWS for the produced hazardous chemical products, supply the corresponding Safety Data Sheets for registered substances and prepare precautionary labelling for both outer and inner package of the hazardous chemicals.
3. Applicant companies need to set up and optimize a series of safety production rules within the corporate premises based on their actual situations in regard to chemical processes, devices and other facilities. The rules include regular work safety meetings, security-related investment assurance, work safety rewards and penalties system, management on special operators, hidden danger investigation and governance, major hazard installations evaluation and management, emergency response, measures against accidents like fire, explosion and intoxication, engineering equipment and facilities maintenance, hazardous chemicals regulation, occupational health, labor protective equipment, contractor performance, etc.
Although this regulation has taken effect since 1 December 2011, a critical standard defining the inclusion of hazardous chemicals is still underway. Earlier this year, news from NRCC-SAWS had that the long-awaiting new version of Catalogue of Hazardous Chemicals was going to be published at the end of 2011, but up to now the relevant authority has only finished the hazard classification of a little more than 5000 substances, that is 70% of the originally planned 7000+ hazardous substances to be included. Therefore, companies of hazardous chemicals are recommended to keep attention and set about preparing their corresponding SDSs and precautionary labelling.
