\"Safety Technical Specifications for the Production of Vinyl Chloride by Acetylene Method\" (GB 14544-2025). Effective from September 1, 2026, the rules will come into force

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To further strengthen safety management in the vinyl chloride production process and improve the intrinsic safety level of enterprises engaged in its production, the Ministry of Emergency Management has organized the revision of the mandatory standard **“Safety Technical Specifications for Vinyl Chloride Production by the Acetylene Method” (GB 14544-2025)** (hereinafter referred to as the “Specifications”). These specifications were released recently and will come into effect on September 1, 2026, replacing the “Safety Technical Regulations for Vinyl Chloride Production by the Calcium Carbide-Acetylene Method” (GB 14544-2008). The Standards apply to the production, storage, and emergency response in enterprises that produce vinyl chloride using the acetylene method. The production process of vinyl chloride involves various flammable, explosive, toxic, and harmful chemicals such as acetylene, hydrogen chloride, and dichloroethane; the process is complex, and safety risks are significant. In this revision of the standard, drawing on the lessons learned from vinyl chloride-related accidents at home and abroad in recent years, as well as incorporating practical experience in ensuring safe production of vinyl chloride via the acetylene method, clear and specific safety technical requirements have been established in various areas such as equipment and facility construction, basic safety management, control of key production parameters, installation of interlock devices, specifications for material storage, and emergency response procedures. This has further enhanced the standard’s applicability and operability. Experts from the China Chemical Safety Association explain that the Guidelines strengthen the requirements for basic safety management: they stipulate that when the supply of liquid vinyl chloride is stopped, the pipelines should not be sealed, and safety pressure relief measures must be in place ； It is required that a minor repair of the gas holder be carried out at least once a year, a medium repair at least once every 3 years, and a major repair at least once every 5 years, with corresponding repair tasks specified ； During normal operation, no more than 2 process operators are allowed to enter the same vinyl chloride production facility or storage area, and no more than 6 people are permitted for tasks such as catalyst replacement ； The number of workers at the sites where vinyl chloride and high-boiling-point substances are filled should not exceed 2. At the same time, the Guidelines set requirements for the location and layout of plant buildings: vinyl chloride gas tanks and storage tanks should not be located adjacent to or on levels higher than those of process units, key facility throughout the plant, and areas where people gather. Buildings where people gather, such as control rooms, shift change rooms, laboratories, and offices, are located outside the facility, and it should be determined based on explosion risk assessment whether blast resistance design is necessary. Regarding equipment and piping, the Code requires that metal universal piping filling systems be used for loading and unloading ethylene and high-boiling distillation products, and that centrifugal pumps with single-face mechanical seals or packing seals not be used to transport vinyl chloride. In addition, the Standards include requirements regarding electrical instruments and intelligent management. It stipulates that the electrical load for instruments and control systems should be considered a particularly important load among level 1 loads. The power consumption for stirring in the polymerization reactor, the pump used for adding terminators, and the pump for sealing water should be classified as primary load. The implementation of this standard will provide scientific safety and technical guidance for enterprises that produce vinyl chloride using the acetylene method, helping to improve the overall level of intrinsic safety in the industry and to effectively prevent and control the occurrence of serious accidents.