The severe sandstorm is coming – has your factory been affected?

Red Star News also learned from the **Forestry and Grassland Bureau that, based on a comprehensive assessment of satellite imagery and ground-based monitoring data provided by the Bureau’s Desertification Monitoring Center, this dust storm originated primarily in Mongolia. On the morning of March 14, a dust storm occurred in southwestern Mongolia; the dust moved southward with the air currents, and by the evening of March 14 it reached the border between Mongolia and central and western Inner Mongolia. Dust storms occurred successively in Bayannur, Erenhot, Baotou and other areas in Inner Mongolia, with visibility below 1,000 meters, PM10 levels exceeding 500 micrograms per cubic meter, and northwest winds of force 6–8; the air quality was classified as severely polluted in all these areas. In the early hours of March 15, dust storms began to affect the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. In Beijing, the transmission of dust from upstream areas, combined with strong winds that carried dust into the area, led to a significant increase in PM10 levels; the PM10 index reached 2153 micrograms per cubic meter, resulting in severely polluted air quality. At present, the dust storm is continuing to move southeastward, and will gradually affect regions such as Jilin, Heilongjiang, Henan, and Shandong. It is understood that this dust storm primarily affected 221 counties (cities, districts, banners) in 10 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government), namely Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, and Liaoning. The population in these areas is approximately 64.17 million people, while the area affected by the storm amounts to about 1.32 million square kilometers. Of this area, approximately 7.48 million hectares are arable land, 12.86 million hectares are forest land, and 59.26 million hectares are grassland. Red Star News reporters Wu Yang and Yang Yuqi report from Beijing

Print Article Petrochemical News According to Sinopec News Network, on March 19, sandstorms occurred in most areas of southern Xinjiang. The local meteorological station issued a blue warning signal for sandstorms, urging people to take safety precautions due to strong winds and sandstorms. Tahe Refining and Chemical Company promptly activated its emergency response plan and strengthened inspection and protection measures to ensure the stable operation of all production units. Every year in March and April, severe wind and sand storms cover large areas in southern Xinjiang for extended periods of time. When such storms occur, they not only disrupt people’s normal travel but also severely affect the stable operation of industrial facilities. To ensure the stable operation of the facilities, Tahe Refining & Chemical gives great importance to this matter, activates emergency response plans, and makes every effort to prevent problems caused by extreme weather conditions. Strengthen emergency drills to enhance prevention capabilities. At the beginning of each year, the various units of this company include sandstorm emergency drills in their annual drill plans. By taking into account the actual production conditions, they simulate scenarios such as power outages affecting equipment and interruptions in material supply, ensuring that in case of emergencies, everyone knows their roles and can respond quickly and effectively. Targeted emergency drills are carried out to improve employees’ practical skills and enhance their ability to handle emergencies. Eliminate safety hazards and prevent falling objects from heights. Comprehensive and in-depth special safety inspections were carried out. In accordance with the principles of territorial management and categorized management, before the arrival of strong winds and sandstorms, the company organized safety inspection teams and various work groups to conduct thorough inspections of the plant area. Debris was removed from tower tops, platforms, pipe corridors, etc., and cable and instrument trunking boxes were reinforced to ensure that all areas were inspected thoroughly, without any gaps or blind spots, thereby preventing accidents such as falling objects from heights that could cause injuries or damage to equipment. Strengthen routine inspections to ensure safe operation. Active efforts are being made to carry out inspections of production discipline; team leaders and on-duty officers conduct inspections using the approach of \"no prior notice, no meetings, going straight to the site, and random checks.\" The focus of these inspections is on the inspection records related to the integrated management of mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, and control systems; shift handovers and DCS operation management; comparison of key process and equipment parameters; as well as interlock and alarm management along with DCS operations. Problems identified are reported in a timely manner and taken into account in the monthly performance evaluations, thereby effectively improving the level of management for plant operations. At the same time, strict measures should be implemented during strong winds of level 6 or above; it is strictly prohibited to carry out work at heights or lifting operations. Proper precautions must be taken by those responsible for sampling oil from tanks, such as preventing sample contamination, to ensure the accuracy of the analytical data. A report from 2019