10 Measures for Preventing Safety Accidents in Hazardous Chemicals Enterprises

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1. Employees must be familiar with the basic safety regulations for chemical handling. 2. Before carrying out special operations such as welding or work in confined spaces, the approver must organize a hazard analysis together with the workers involved, the supervisors, those on the job site, and other relevant personnel. 3. The operating post must prepare a \"Table of Post Risks and Prevention Measures\" which should be posted on the wall, and the personnel assigned to that post must be proficient in it. 4. The operation site must comply with standards; employees shall operate in accordance with these standards, and management shall enforce the relevant regulations. 5. Strictly implement self-inspections at the work post, team inspections, workshop checks, and factory-level supervision. 6. Safety inspections should be quantified and linked to performance evaluations. 7. Strict limits are imposed on the number of personnel in hazardous work positions to prevent major accidents. 8. New employees in positions involving flammable and explosive hazards (including maintenance) must possess the ability to identify such hazards, the skills for standardized operations, and the capability to handle emergencies appropriate to their role. They may only take up duties on their own after passing a comprehensive assessment. 9. Monitoring, automatic control, interlocking, alarm, and shutdown devices in key areas and hazardous locations must be in good condition, with dual-person oversight. 10. External construction workers must receive safety training before entering the site, and supervision and management must be strengthened during the construction process. Explanation of the provisions: 1. Employees must be familiar with the basic safety regulations for chemical handling. 【Accident Case】On July 16, 2010, an explosion occurred in the oil transport pipeline at the crude oil depot of Dalian CNPC International Storage and Transportation Co., Ltd., located in the free trade zone of Dalian City, Liaoning Province. This led to a massive fire and a significant spill of crude oil; some of the crude oil, as well as the pipelines and equipment, were damaged, while the spilled oil flowed into nearby waters, causing pollution. The accident resulted in minor injuries to 1 worker and 1 person missing ； During the firefighting, 1 firefighter lost their life and 1 was seriously injured. The direct property damage caused by the accident amounted to 223.3019 million yuan. The direct cause of the accident was the continued filling process while the oil tanker had stopped unloading oil, which led to a local accumulation of \"hydrogen sulfide scavengers\" in the pipeline. This resulted in intense oxidation reactions, causing the pipeline to explode and leading to a fire and crude oil spill. It violates the \"Six Strict Requirements for Operators\": strict implementation of the shift handover system, thorough routine inspections, and strict adherence to operating procedures and other regulations. [Basic relevant regulations] 1. The 41 Prohibitions for Chemical Enterprises; 2. Ten Regulations for Ensuring Production Safety in Chemical (Hazardous Chemicals) Enterprises; 3. Five Regulations for Safe Operations in Confined Spaces; 4. Six Regulations regarding Safety Risk Notifications in Enterprises; 5. Ten Regulations for Fire and Explosion Prevention in Oil and Gas Storage Areas; 6. Five Regulations for Preventing Dust Explosions in Enterprises. 2. Before carrying out special operations such as hot work or work in confined spaces, the approver must organize a risk assessment together with the personnel involved in the operation, those responsible for supervision, and other relevant staff. 【Accident Case】On May 29, 2010, at a large chemical manufacturing plant in Deqing, welding work was carried out on a water storage tank. Due to inadequate analysis, it was not taken into account that the tank was connected to pipes carrying propane, posing a risk of propane entering the tank. As a result, propane entered the tank during the welding work, leading to a flash explosion that caused one death and one injury. Lessons learned from the incident: Regarding the situation where propane might flow into water storage tanks, operators at the relevant workstations are more aware of this than personnel engaged in hot work or monitoring duties. When performing high-risk operations at a particular workstation, it is essential to conduct a risk analysis involving both the operators at that station and all related personnel, in order to better prevent accidents. 【Cause Analysis】The main reasons for accidents in special operations at present are incomplete hazard analysis, lax oversight by approvers during the approval process, and inadequate implementation of safety measures. A considerable number of companies, when carrying out special operations, mainly rely on the safety measures listed in the operation permit for verification. The safety measures specified in the special approval forms are aimed at common issues; as for hazard analysis that takes into account the specific conditions of each company, it is necessary to conduct a detailed analysis based on those particular circumstances. Failure to do so can result in an incomplete hazard analysis and inadequate safety measures, which in turn may lead to accidents. 【Preventive Measures】In light of the above situations and existing problems, the best approach is that, for special operations in hazardous positions, the approver must gather the workers involved, those working at the relevant positions, as well as other related personnel to conduct an analysis. This ensures a targeted and comprehensive approach, as the workers are best aware of the dangers specific to their own work areas. As for the other related personnel, it is necessary to consider the risks associated with the interconnected pipelines and shared work areas within chemical plants, so as to effectively avoid accidents resulting from incomplete risk analysis or inadequate preventive measures. 3. The operational positions must prepare a \"Table of Positional Risks and Control Measures\" which should be posted on the wall, and the personnel working in those positions must be proficient in it. 【Accident Case】On March 7, 2016, after completing the process of feeding cotton into a factory in our city’s development zone, while preparing to feed more cotton in the next batch, sparks were generated due to friction between the bags and the ground while moving the materials. This led to the release of hazardous chemicals such as toluene into the air, resulting in a fire accident that had significant consequences. Lesson from the accident: The operators were unaware of the risk that hazardous chemicals emitted at their workstations could be ignited by sparks generated during the handling of materials ； Excessive accumulation of cotton dust at the site blocks the emergency exits, allowing the fire to spread and creating a risk of difficulty for people to escape ； The dust cleaning process on site generated flying dust, posing a risk of dust explosion; no effective measures were taken, leading to the occurrence of an accident. 【Cause Analysis】To accurately, comprehensively, and thoroughly analyze the hazards associated with a particular position, covering all employees, all aspects, and the entire process, it is necessary to draw on collective wisdom. Everyone has seen, encountered, or experienced the risks associated with their job to some extent, and thus has some understanding of them; however, this understanding is never complete. It’s like trying to understand an elephant by touching only its parts. Only by analyzing everyone’s insights, pooling collective wisdom, and integrating those information can a comprehensive and accurate \"Job Risk and Prevention Measures Table\" be created; otherwise, attention will be divided and important aspects will be overlooked. 【Preventive Measures】It is necessary to organize personnel from areas such as process management, safety, equipment and facilities, electrical systems, as well as workshop supervisors, team leaders, and employees, to analyze potential abnormalities in various aspects related to their respective positions, including equipment and facilities, process control, and operating procedures, as well as the corresponding countermeasures. Appropriate measures should be taken for each possible scenario, and a \"Table of Positional Risks and Preventive Measures\" should be developed. Due to limited resources, companies can seek expert guidance. Through employee participation, expert oversight, and supervision by regulatory authorities, all employees can become familiar with the entire operational process of their roles, the operation of equipment and facilities (including functions such as water, electricity, and instruments), the key control points in the manufacturing process, as well as how to handle various abnormalities and emergencies skillfully. Only those assigned to specific positions must master the \"Table of Positional Risks and Prevention Measures\" thoroughly, internalizing it in their minds and putting it into practice, so as to truly shift from passive prevention to proactive prevention. 4. The operation area must comply with standards on-site; employees shall operate in accordance with these standards, and management shall enforce the relevant regulations. 【Accident Case】On July 16, 2015, during a liquid gas transfer operation at Shida Technology Company in Rizhao, Shandong, an explosion occurred due to improper operations, resulting in severe consequences. Lessons from the accident: The process of pressurizing the tank by injecting water is strictly prohibited; moreover, the use of water injection for tank transfer, as well as the installation of blind flanges on the pipes leading to the flare in emergency situations, constitute violations of relevant regulations. The operator fails to follow the specified procedures; they must not leave their post during the manual water cutting process, and must not leave their duty without permission ； The on-site emergency shut-off valve cannot be controlled automatically ； In terms of management, no enhanced oversight or diligent supervision was carried out to ensure compliance with regulations regarding the aforementioned violations. 【Cause analysis】The operation site must comply with standards, employees must carry out their tasks in accordance with these standards, and management must follow the established rules – these are the most basic and important safety requirements. At present, many companies and work sites suffer from common problems such as messy stacking of materials that blocks passages, damaged pressure gauges on reaction tanks that go unattended, and expired fire extinguishers that are ignored. The employees working there are aware of these issues but fail to recognize their potential hazards ； In terms of management, effective implementation is not possible due to the lack of standardized requirements for positions. At present, the biggest problem in supervision and management is not the lack of systems or regulations, but rather the poor level of enforcement. 【Preventive measures】Nothing can be accomplished without rules and standards. Shang Yang established trust by using a pole as an example, focusing on implementation to achieve practical results. The same is true for safety management; only by having clear rules to follow and by adhering to them can such incidents be prevented. The \"Job Risk and Prevention Measures Table\" represents the standard requirements for each position, and these must be strictly implemented. 5. Strictly implement self-inspections at the work post, team inspections, workshop checks, and factory-level supervision. 【Accident Case】The severe fire accident on June 27, 1997, at the tank farm of Beijing Dongfang Chemical Plant: A massive explosion and fire broke out at the plant’s tank farm, resulting in 9 deaths, 39 injuries, and direct economic losses of 117 million yuan. This is a rare and severe accident, both at home and abroad. When transferring light diesel from railway tank cars to storage tanks via oil pumps, an operator opened the wrong valve, causing the light diesel to enter the fully filled naphtha A tank. This led to a large amount of naphtha leaking out through the vent on top of the tank (approximately 637 cubic meters). The leaked naphtha and its vapors came into contact with an open flame during diffusion, resulting in the first explosion and fire, which in turn caused explosions and fires in other tanks in the tank area, including the ethylene tank. Lessons learned from the incident: If positions conduct self-inspections, issues can be detected in a timely manner; team inspections may also help identify problems, allowing for prompt resolution and potentially preventing accidents from occurring. Many accidents involving hazardous chemicals occur due to laziness in conducting inspections or inadequate inspection efforts. 【Precautionary Measures】Employees in each position should conduct self-inspections on a regular basis, especially during shift changes and in case of emergencies. Team members should also carry out continuous inspections to identify any abnormalities promptly and take corrective action right away. The workshop conducts inspections irregularly on a weekly basis, and the results of these inspections are taken into account in performance evaluations. The company should supervise the self-inspections by employees, the team inspections, and the workshop inspections, and issue notices regarding any violations. The four types of inspections work together, supervising and reinforcing one another. 6. Safety inspections should be quantified and linked to performance evaluations. [Case] A small private battery manufacturing enterprise in Changxing has established quantitative standards for every detail related to each position. For instance, it checks whether the charging and discharging records are correct and complete; a deduction of 10 yuan is imposed for each violation. It also verifies whether defective batteries are marked and removed from production; a deduction of 20 yuan is applied for each such case. This battery manufacturing company conducts random inspections on a weekly basis, publishes the results promptly each week, and links these inspections to employees’ salaries. As a result, employees are aware of the reasons for any deductions and reduced pay, allowing them to make timely corrections. This approach helps to change their passive attitude toward their tasks to one of proactive and voluntary compliance, thereby creating a positive cycle in which the workplace remains clean and tidy, employees follow the regulations, and management operates in accordance with established procedures. 【Cause Analysis】Many companies currently face the following issues in their implementation processes: First, assessments are not conducted in a timely manner – they take place only once a year, which is too infrequent. As rewards are given only at the end of the year, there is little motivation among employees, and the results achieved are not significant ； Second, the assessment is not quantified, resulting in low operability ； Third, no incentive mechanism has been established, resulting in low enthusiasm among employees. 【Preventive measures】Inspections must be quantified; only through quantification can evaluation be carried out, and evaluation is linked to rewards to ensure proper implementation. Only when the assessments are aligned with the goals to be achieved can efforts be directed effectively. The \"Job Risk and Prevention Measures Table\" should be taken into account, as well as ensuring that the work site complies with relevant standards, that employees operate in accordance with these standards, and that management follows established procedures. Regular inspections should be carried out on a weekly basis, and rewards and penalties should be implemented accordingly. Only by persisting in this approach can these measures be effectively put into practice. 7. The number of personnel in hazardous work positions is strictly controlled to prevent major accidents. 【Accident Case】On November 28, 2007, an explosion occurred at a chemical plant in Nanxun, resulting in a serious accident in which all 3 workers on the same shift lost their lives. Lesson from the accident: A large number of people at the work site is a key reason for the expansion of the accident. 【Precautionary measures】Strive to reduce the number of workers in hazardous positions in order to lower the likelihood of serious accidents. Other measures such as automation, or enhanced site inspections, can be employed to effectively reduce the likelihood of serious accidents resulting from crowd gatherings. 8. New employees in positions involving flammable and explosive hazards (including maintenance) must possess the ability to identify such hazards, the skills for standardized operations, and the capability to handle emergencies appropriate to their role. They may only take up duties on their own after passing a comprehensive assessment. 【Accident Case】In 2014, during trial production at an ink manufacturing company in Wuxing, a fire broke out due to static electricity generated by too fast flow rates while discharging materials. Lessons from the accident: The employees of this company were new hires; they were unaware of the risk of static electricity being generated due to too rapid material placement, and their handling methods were incorrect. After the accident, they were not familiar with the procedures for emergency response, which led to the accident from escalating. 【Precautionary Measures】Skills in risk identification and hazard detection and mitigation: Fully understand the dangers associated with one’s job role and the factors that can trigger such risks; be aware of the dangers in the surrounding environment and their potential impact on oneself; comprehend the consequences of violating safety rules. Any identified hazards should be addressed promptly, so as to achieve the goal of preventing harm to oneself and others. Standardized operating skills: Be familiar with proper operating procedures; master skills related to the operating procedures for new processes, equipment, materials, and methods; perform operations in accordance with standards; and also be acquainted with methods for handling abnormal situations. Emergency skills: Mastering emergency response, personal hazard prevention, disaster avoidance, and self-rescue methods ； Being familiar with the use and maintenance of personal protective equipment and emergency gear enables effective handling of minor accidents and protects personal safety. New employees must undergo pre-job training, possess the aforementioned skills, and pass a comprehensive assessment before they can take up their positions, thereby effectively preventing accidents at the source. 9. Monitoring, automatic control, interlocking, alarm, and shutdown devices in key areas and hazardous locations must be in good condition, with dual-person oversight. [Accident Case] On April 22, 2016, an explosion occurred at a chemical logistics and storage facility in Jingjiang, Jiangsu, resulting in the death of one firefighter. Lesson from the accident: The valves on the tanks used for storing gasoline do not close automatically. Hundreds of tons of gasoline per hour supplied a continuous supply of fuel to the fire, causing the accident to spread. 【Precautionary Measures】Monitoring, automatic control, interlocking, alarm, and shutdown systems in key areas and hazardous locations meet the relevant requirements and are in good condition; they enable effective prevention before accidents occur, and allow for remote control after an accident happens. In terms of personnel operation, a two-person control system is employed to prevent mistakes, particularly to avoid a repeat of the severe fire accident that occurred on June 27, 1997, at the tank farm of Beijing Dongfang Chemical Plant. 10. External construction workers must receive safety training before entering the site, and supervision and management must be strengthened during the construction process. 【Accident Case】In 2012, an enterprise in Wuxing of our city suffered a poisoning accident in a confined space while hiring external workers to clean a sewage tank, resulting in 4 deaths. 【Cause Analysis】Since outsiders are not familiar with the hazards present in the company, they are prone to causing accidents. Many companies rely on signing responsibility agreements as a substitute for proper management, which leads to gaps in oversight. It is necessary to provide safety training to outsiders so that they are aware of the hazards and the measures needed to prevent them. 【Precautionary measures】Foreign workers must receive safety training before starting work on site; in particular, supervision and management must be strengthened during the construction process to prevent accidents caused by illegal operations.