On January 15, 2024, the Beijing Emergency Management Bureau, together with the Beijing Development and Reform Commission, the Beijing Economy and Information Technology Commission, the Beijing Public Security Bureau and other 7 departments, based on the laws and regulations of the Work Safety Law of the People's Republic of China, the Regulations on the Safety Management of Hazardous Chemicals, and the Regulations of Beijing Municipality on Work Safety, etc., formulated the "Measures for the Prohibition, Restriction, and Control of Hazardous Chemicals in Beijing (2024) " (hereinafter referred to as the "Measures"). The Measures were released on January 25, 2024, and will come into effect on April 1, 2024.
The release and implementation of the Measures are aimed at deeply implementing the relevant decisions and deployments of the Central Committee of the CPC, the State Council, and the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and the Beijing Municipal Government on comprehensively strengthening the safety production work of dangerous chemicals, earnestly fulfilling the capital city's strategic positioning, and effectively enhancing the safety management of dangerous chemicals in Beijing. The Measures are also intended to precisely control the safety risks of dangerous chemicals, effectively prevent dangerous chemical accidents, and ensure the safe operation of the city.
The main contents of the Measures are summarized as follows:
The Measures stipulate the prohibition measures, restriction measures, and control measures for hazardous chemicals in Beijing, and are applicable to the production and operation activities of units (hereinafter referred to as "each unit") within the administrative jurisdiction of Beijing. Prohibition Measures: The "Prohibited List of Hazardous Chemicals in Beijing Municipality" has been formulated, with a total of 62 hazardous chemicals listed. Hazardous chemicals listed in the "Prohibited List of Hazardous Chemicals in Beijing Municipality" shall not be produced, stored, used, sold or transported within the administrative area of Beijing.
Restriction Measures: In the designated areas (the functional core area of Beijing's capital and the Beijing sub-center), 15 hazardous chemicals, including ammonia solution (with ammonia content of more than 10%), sodium hypochlorite solution (with available chlorine content of more than 5%), nitrogen (compressed or liquefied), carbon dioxide (compressed or liquefied), helium (compressed or liquefied), sulfuric acid, boric acid, gasoline, diesel, ferric chloride solution, tetrachloroethylene, argon (compressed or liquefied), oxygen (compressed or liquefied), ethanol (anhydrous), hydrochloric acid, can be transported and used in non-chemical reagent form, while other hazardous chemicals (excluding those listed in the "Prohibited List") can only be transported and used in chemical reagent form, and must be transported only by means of enclosed trucks and gas cylinder transport vehicles that meet the requirements for dangerous goods transport vehicles. The transportation of limited quantities and exceptional quantities of dangerous goods, shall be carried out in accordance with the relevant provisions of the "Provisions on the Administration of Road Transport of Dangerous Goods". Additionally, within the designated area, each use unit shall report annually, at the end of each year, to the district industry authority the types and quantities of hazardous chemicals used and planned for the following year. They shall also strictly control the use of hazardous chemicals.
In terms of control measures, new (revised and expanded) construction projects involving the production and storage of hazardous chemicals shall comply with the Beijing Additional Industries Prohibition and Restriction List and the national and municipal industrial development policies. Hazardous chemicals production enterprises, hazardous chemicals wholesalers that constitute major hazard sources, and enterprises that have obtained permits for safe use of hazardous chemicals shall strictly implement the safety risk assessment and safety commitment announcement system, formulate and implement safety risk control measures, etc.
Note:
1. The measures referred to here are hazardous chemicals as defined in the Catalog of Hazardous Chemicals in China.
2. Chemical reagent form refers to the packaging and gas cylinder form that meets the requirements, including: the packaging form of reagent-type hazardous chemicals that meet the national standard GB 15346 for Chemical reagent—Packaging and marking (single liquid packaging of no more than 25L and solid packaging of no more than 25kg), and gas cylinder form with a maximum nominal working pressure of 15MPa and a nominal volume of 40L or less. The storage, use, and transportation of chemical reagents and gas cylinder gases shall comply with the relevant provisions on the safety management of hazardous chemicals at the national and municipal levels.
