April 15-17, Shanghai, China

“China Hazardous Chemical Management Seminar 2015” hosted by The Training Center of China Chemical Industry Academy and REACH24H Consulting Group come to a successful close. Experts from National Registration Center of Chemicals (NRCC), Entry-Exit Inspection & Quarantine Bureau of China, Shanghai Registration Office, Shanghai Research Institute of Chemical Industry specified the contents and its impact of the newly published “List of Hazardous Chemicals 2015”. This two-day seminar attracted over 100 attendees, including decision-makers of multi-nationals, corporate EHS affair supervisors, relevant experts and managing directors of enterprises.

In a concerted effort undertaken by State Administration of Work Safety (SAW) together with China’s Ministry of Industry and information Technology (MIIT) and eight other state-level administrative departments, the new version of “List of Hazardous Chemicals” was released on 9 March 2015, formally dubbed as No.5 Notification of 2015, which will come into force from 1 May this year. The same day marks legal efficacy of the List’s 2002 version and the 2002 version of “List of Highly Toxic Chemicals” terminate.

A fair amount of revisions have been made to the new version of list on the basis of the 2002 version, cutting the total number of chemicals concerned from 3814 to 2828. The “List of Hazardous Chemicals” is an important part of “Decree 591: Regulations on the Control over Safety of Hazardous Chemicals”—the governing legislation passed by State Council which sets the guideline on chemical management in China. The impact of a revised list is far and wide. While contributing to the stepping up of chemical safety management, environmental protection and trade, its ripple effect will foreseeably throw weight upon a vast majority of chemical manufacturers and traders. Greater attention paid to certain variations from the previous version the new List spells serves the immediate interest of those affected.

In the first day, Mr. Yuncai Li from NRCC and Ms. Bin Fan from Shanghai Research Institute of Chemical Industry explained and analyzed Measures for the Management of Physical Hazard Identification and Classification for Chemicals (SAWS Order 60), and provided compliance strategies and measures to be adopted by companies; Mr. Jiliang Xu form Shanghai Registration Office indicated the ways to manage hazardous chemical registration and pointed out the importance of risk assessment.

Mr. Feng Liu from Shanghai Entry-Exit Inspection & Quarantine Bureau of China and Mr. Wei Jiang from Inspection and Testing Division of Dangerous Goods and Packaging of Shanghai Entry-Exit Inspection & Quarantine Bureau of China demonstrated the policies concerning on the Supervision of the import and export of chemicals in China, and Inspection and Testing Methods on Dangerous Goods and Packaging respectively. Both of them emphasized that companies should assure their goods have compliance with the registration requirements of “List of Hazardous Chemicals 2015”, otherwise, stricter inspection and fine policies will be taken during the import and export of chemicals in China.

In the second day, background and technical differences of GB 30000-2013 series and guidance on the compilation of SDS and Labelling have been presented by Ms. Honghua Huang from Technical Center of Shandong Entry-Exit Inspection & Quarantine Bureau of China; meanwhile, global GHS expert Mr. Eric Sun from REACH24H Consulting Group delivered detailed explanation of comparisons between China GHS and GHS regulations in various Asia Pacific countries and also stated characteristic issues confront companies since the adoption of GB30000-2013: Chemical Classification and Labeling Compilation Specification and GB/T 17519-2013.

It should be noted that relevant companies should waste no time clarifying whether their products have fallen in the new List, following its nationwide practice. Chemicals included in the List must be dealt with in a manner which during hazardous chemical registration as well as various kinds of registration certificate application ensures delivery of information honest and precise. For those beyond the List and suspected of potential risk, the foremost is to conduct hazard assessment, the result of which shapes subsequent compliance strategy.

This seminar outright fix upon the new List or “List of Hazardous Chemical 2015”, given the crucial timing, and demystified riddles from chemical registration, classification to the criteria on label compilation, providing prudent advice to enable relevant technical and managerial personnel better comprehend and digest the new List and expounding obligations and responsibilities restraining companies.