Notice on the Dust Collector Collapse Incident at Shanghai XXX Power Generation Co., Ltd. on February 15, 2022

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At around 22:45 on February 15, 2022, the bag filter on the A side of Boiler No. 2 at Shanghai XXX Power Generation Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as XXX Power Plant) collapsed, trapping 6 workers from external contractors who were carrying out maintenance work there. Relevant agencies are currently making every effort to carry out rescue operations. Previously, similar accidents have occurred within and outside the power industry; on September 22, 2021, the A dust collector of Boiler No. 4 at Huayin Power Zhuzhou Power Generation Co., Ltd. collapsed completely, resulting in 4 deaths ； On February 6, 2022, an accident occurred at a silo at the MaSteel Ironmaking Plant in Anhui, resulting in 4 deaths. Relevant departments and the headquarters of enterprise groups have issued multiple directives to put forward requirements or organize reflections on accidents, in order to urge and guide grassroots enterprises to draw lessons from them, apply those lessons to similar situations, and carry out inspections and corrective actions. Under such circumstances, accidents involving casualties among workers in dust collectors still occur, revealing prominent issues in some grassroots enterprises, including a lack of a commitment to safe development, insufficient awareness of risks, weak technical management, an ineffective dual-prevention mechanism, and even persistent refusal to comply with regulations despite repeated warnings. The collapse incident of the dust collector at the Sotogahama Power Plant is hereby reported to the entire national power industry, with the following requirements put forward. First, conduct a comprehensive review, identification of issues, and corrective actions. All coal-fired power generation enterprises shall keep track of the human and equipment accidents that have occurred in recent years in \"peripheral areas\" such as dust collectors, coal storage areas, and desulfurization and denitrification systems. They need to conduct a thorough analysis of the causes of these accidents. In accordance with relevant laws, regulations, policies, and standard requirements, from the date of issuance of this notice until the end of March, they must carry out a comprehensive and systematic assessment of the safety risks associated with dust collectors. Special attention should be paid to dust collectors, especially those that have undergone ultra-low emission upgrades – identifying defects in their design, manufacturing, and installation, as well as issues related to their supporting capacity, foundation settlement, and structural corrosion. Measures and responsibilities for rectifying these issues must be established, with clear deadlines and timelines set to effectively control safety risks and eliminate potential accident hazards. Second, conduct timely rechecks and verifications of the dust collectors. Coal-fired power generation enterprises should, in light of changes such as the age of the generating units, ultra-low emission upgrades, load factor, ash content in coal, and the operating conditions of dust removal equipment, and in accordance with standards such as the \"Code for Inspection and Evaluation of Industrial Buildings\" (GB50144), the \"Technical Specifications for Dust Removal Systems in Thermal Power Plants\" (HJ2039), the \"General Technical Specifications for Bag Filter Systems\" (HJ2020), and other industry standards, promptly carry out reviews of the design of dust removal systems as well as checks on their stability and strength. Especially for dust collectors equipped with electrostatic bag filters, it is necessary to engage professional institutions with the appropriate qualifications to conduct checks on the strength of the steel structure, ensuring that there is sufficient safety margin even under extreme operating conditions. If the safety margin is insufficient, targeted safety, technical, and management measures should be taken immediately to ensure safety, and technical improvement projects should be arranged promptly to strengthen the structure. Third, improve the operating procedures. Coal-fired power generation enterprises should, based on the results of risk assessments for dust collectors, design reviews, and stability and strength checks, formulate or revise the maintenance and operation procedures for such collectors, improve the system of operating procedures, and enhance the practicality and enforceability of these regulations. It is necessary to strengthen the promotion and training of operating procedures, enhance the enforcement of these procedures, and urge the personnel responsible for the operation of dust collectors to carry out their tasks and carry out maintenance work in strict accordance with the prescribed procedures. Fourth, increase efforts in safety education and training. All power enterprises must strictly implement the three-level safety education system, strengthen safety education for their employees, particularly those in key leadership positions, technical supervisors, and those in charge of safety management. It is necessary to reinforce the concept of safe development and raise safety awareness; no one shall hold relevant leadership positions without passing the safety education requirements. It is necessary to strengthen safety skills training for front-line operators, personnel from outsourced companies, and workers in high-risk positions, in order to enhance their professional capabilities and meet the requirements of safe production. Fifth, strengthen safety supervision and oversight. The headquarters of various power enterprise groups should step up safety inspections, employing methods such as safety audits, evaluations of compliance with safety requirements, and performance assessments related to safety, in order to accurately assess the effectiveness of safety management in their subsidiaries at all levels. Those responsible for companies that fail to pay attention to safety issues, do not fulfill their responsibilities in this regard, have significant safety risks, or experience frequent accidents shall be dealt with strictly through measures such as warnings, administrative sanctions, or job reassignments. Local **electricity regulatory authorities and their various branches should strengthen safety supervision and law enforcement, increase the frequency of inspections, and promptly identify and address any violations of safety regulations. In early April 2022, coal-fired power generation enterprises were required to report the results of their safety inspections of dust collectors to the provincial electricity regulatory authorities in their respective locations as well as the local agencies under their jurisdiction ； In mid-April, all member enterprises and local offices of the National Electricity Safety Committee are required to report to the Power Safety Supervision Department of the **Energy Bureau on the results of safety inspections conducted on dust collectors in coal-fired power generation plants within their respective organizations and jurisdictions.