Following the deadly explosion of a chemical plant in Yancheng, Eastern China earlier last month, Chinese authorities have been trying to manage the aftermath of this severe event which caused 78 deaths.

The explosion of the plant, which mainly produces pesticides, later was followed by the Zhangjiagang Environmental Protection Agency’s request for Zhangjiagang Win Hanverky Container Terminal Co., Ltd. to halt the loading and unloading of hazardous chemicals at the port over safety issues.

As Nora Wang from ChemLinked explains, in addition to the pledge of Jiangsu provincial government to cut the number of local chemical businesses from 5,433 in 2017 to under 1,000 by 2022, a total of 37 regions have been carrying out urgent inspections targeting vehicles transporting hazardous chemicals.

Concerns over safety in chemical plants and the transport of hazardous chemicals is no news for China. Following grave explosions associated to chemical plants back in 2007 and 2011, the Chinese government has shown initiative to further strengthen its regulations on chemicals and the transport of dangerous goods.

China ADR, JT/T617 was implemented in December 2018, following extensive consultations with international agencies and experts. JT/T617 specifically relied on EU’s TDG management as a relevant guide and its EU-ADR for its formulation. After all, according to China’s Ministry of Transport (MoT), in 2016 more than 1.6 billion tons of dangerous goods were transported in China, 60% of which on roads, highlighting the need for adequate regulations to ensure health and standards.

To follow on the latest on this topic, follow Nora Wang www.chemlinked.com.

On 10. May 2019 UMCO and REACH24H will hold a joint Seminar on the Transport of Dangerous Goods in China (in English) in the city of Hamburg. For more information go to: https://www.reach24h.com/en-us/webinar-seminar/item/1235-transport-of-dangerous-goods-in-china.html.

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