The First Batch of Physical Risk Identification Institutions Concerning Chemical were Officially Published

On 24 Nov. 2016, State Administration of Work Safety officially released the first batch of physical risk identification institutions concerning chemical. Name list of relevant institutions is as follows:

• China Academy of Safety Science and Technology
• National Registration Center for Chemicals under State Administration of Work Safety (Sinopec Research Institute of Safety Engineering)
• Shenyang Research Institute of Chemical Industry
• Zhejiang Province Chemical Products Inspection Station (Zhejiang Research Institute of Chemical Industry
• Sichuan Dangerous Chemical Products Quality Supervision and Inspection Institute
• Chemicals Testing Center of Nanjing University of Science and Technology
• National Chemicals and Products Safety Supervision and Inspection Center (Shanghai Research Institute of Chemical Industry)
• Chemical Industry Synthetic Material Aging Quality Supervision and Inspection Center
• Energetic Materials Measurement and Evaluation Center of CAEP
• Hubei Institute of Aerospace Chemical Technology
• Guizhou Academy of Testing and Analysis

1. Chemicals containing components that are listed in the Catalogue of Hazardous Chemicals yet the physical risks of the chemicals are unclear;
2. Chemicals that have not been listed in the Catalogue of Hazardous Chemicals and the physical risk of which are not clear;
3. Chemicals for the purpose of scientific research, the annual output or usage amount of which is larger than 1 ton and the physical risk is not clear;

Penalty:

In one of the following situations, safety production and supervision departments shall require chemical enterprises to rectify and impose a fine of less than RMB 10,000; in case enterprises refuse to make corrections, the safety production and supervision departments can impose a fine of RMB 10,000 – 30,000 on the enterprise:

1. The enterprise failed to conduct physical risk identification or classification in accordance with SAWS Order 60;
2. The enterprise failed to establish documentary files for chemical risk identification and systematic management in accordance with SAWS Order 60;
3. The enterprise concealed the hazardous components, contents and other information or offered false materials during chemical physical risk identification.

Please be noted that the documentary files for chemical risk identification and systematic management shall include chemicals of which the physical risks are known, chemicals of which the physical risks are identified, chemicals of which the physical risks are not identified and other information.

Effects:

Most of the classifications are relevant to the state of the products (gas, liquid and solid). Taking liquids as an example, enterprises usually need to identify whether the products are explosive liquids, oxidizing liquids, pyrophoric liquids, self-heating substances and mixtures, self-reactive substances and mixtures as well as products that are corrosive to metals. As a result, enterprises must make sure whether they have enough data to classify their products correctly. However, it is still not clear whether the data owned by enterprises can be directly used in classification. Hopefully, a notice about the Physical Risk Identification will be released soon.