Transportation departments (bureaus and commissions) of all provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government, Yangtze River Navigation Administration, the Pearl River Navigation Administration, maritime bureaus directly under them, China Port Association and China Shipowners Association:

In order to deeply learn from the major explosion incident in the Beirut port area of Lebanon and the hazardous chemical explosion accidents that have occurred in some areas of China, and in accordance with the deployment requirements of the State Council Safety Committee, we hereby draw lessons from this and further strengthen the safety management of dangerous goods port operations. The relevant matters are notified as follows:

1、 Raise political stance and firmly establish awareness of safety production red lines

According to the requirements of the State Council Work Safety Committee, we will carry out a comprehensive investigation and treatment of major safety risks and hidden dangers in dangerous goods port operations, establish the concept that hidden dangers are accidents, effectively resolve and prevent major safety risks, and resolutely curb the occurrence of major accidents.

2、 Strictly carry out risk and hidden danger investigation and governance from a practical and detailed perspective

Local transportation (port) management departments at all levels should take cases as a lesson, draw lessons from them, take strengthening the safety of dangerous goods port operations as the current key work, take practical and effective measures, strengthen major risk control, deepen hidden danger investigation and governance, and accelerate the construction of a dual prevention mechanism. The local transportation (port) management department should organize a comprehensive investigation based on the self-examination and self correction of relevant port enterprises in the jurisdiction, conscientiously carry out a "look back" on the implementation of rectification measures for major accidents, seriously investigate and punish illegal and irregular behaviors, implement closed-loop management of problem and hidden dangers, and implement supervision and handling of major hidden dangers. Provincial transportation authorities should promptly summarize the investigation and treatment of risks and hidden dangers in their jurisdiction, and submit a written report to the Safety Committee Office of the Ministry before October 31, 2020.

（1） Strictly manage the safety of port operations involving explosives and ammonium nitrate substances.

The transportation (port) management department where the port is located should increase inspection efforts, highlight key points, and strictly investigate and punish illegal activities such as illegal storage and excessive storage of explosives and ammonium nitrate substances.

1. Strictly manage the source of Class 1 dangerous goods (explosives) and ammonium nitrate substances in port operations. Strictly control the access control of dock and yard (warehouse) construction projects, and strictly implement various management systems such as planning and site selection, safety review, and business license.

2. Thoroughly rectify the unqualified safety conditions in the workplace. For those who are found to have illegal behaviors such as non-compliance with planning, insufficient safety protection distance, unauthorized construction, and unlicensed operation during the investigation, they shall be immediately ordered to stop operating and given administrative penalties in accordance with the law; For safety facilities that do not meet the requirements, immediate rectification should be urged. If safety cannot be guaranteed during the rectification period, the operation should be ordered to stop according to law.

3. Strictly follow the operating procedures and regulations. The loading, unloading, and storage operations at ports must strictly comply with relevant standards, regulations, and safety operation procedures. Strictly implement the provisions of the "Safety Regulations for Dangerous Goods Container Port Operations" (JT397), and implement direct loading and unloading for dangerous goods containers containing explosives and ammonium nitrate substances in categories 1.1 and 1.2, and are not allowed to be stored in the port area; Except for items 1.1 and 1.2, explosives shall be strictly stored in limited time and quantity.

（2） Strictly manage the safety of dangerous goods storage tanks in ports.

The transportation (port) management department in the port location shall conduct inspections on the implementation of the "Opinions of the General Office of the Ministry of Transport on Strengthening the Safety Management of Dangerous Goods Storage Tanks in Ports" (Jiaobanshui [2017] No. 34) by port dangerous goods enterprises.

1. Strictly implement the regular inspection system for storage tanks. Conduct regular full coverage inspections on the foundation, body, ancillary facilities, and safety accessories of the storage tank; The inspection report should have clear conclusions and implement closed-loop management. Any defects found should be repaired in a timely manner. If there are serious defects that cannot guarantee the safe operation of the storage tank, it must be resolutely stopped from use.

2. Strengthen the safety monitoring of tank operation. The local transportation (port) management department shall supervise enterprises to install high and low level alarm and automatic interlocking cut-off devices for dangerous goods storage tanks in accordance with relevant regulations and specifications, and set the tank level alarm height according to standards. The alarm height shall not be higher than the designed storage high or low level of the tank. Key storage tanks such as large storage tanks, liquefied gas storage tanks, and highly toxic chemical storage tanks should be equipped with emergency shut-off valves in accordance with regulations to ensure the integrity and usability of flammable, explosive, toxic, and harmful gas leakage alarm systems.

3. Strengthen emergency duty. Port dangerous goods enterprises should strengthen personnel on duty, and take effective measures immediately when tank monitoring equipment alarms.

（3） Strictly manage the safety of key links and important parts.

The transportation (port) management department and maritime management agency in the location of the port should strengthen joint supervision, highlight key areas, and urge port enterprises and arriving ships to strengthen safety management of key links and important parts such as ship shore safety inspections.

1. Strictly inspect the safety of the ship and shore. Urge port enterprises and arriving vessels to strictly follow the standards and requirements of the "Safety Operation Regulations for Oil Tankers and Oil Terminals" and "Technical Requirements for Port Loading and Unloading of Bulk Liquid Chemical Products", strictly implement the pre loading and unloading safety inspection system for dangerous goods, comprehensively strengthen the safety management of loading and unloading operations at the ship port interface, strengthen the on duty monitoring of loading and unloading operations, and strictly prohibit illegal operations.

2. Strictly manage the safety of special operations. Organize port dangerous goods enterprises to carefully study the "Safety Regulations for Special Operations of Chemical Production Units", improve internal management systems, strengthen safety management of special operations such as hot work, confined spaces, electricity, and high-altitude operations, strictly follow internal approval procedures before operations, strictly prohibit illegal activities such as unauthorized operations, carefully identify operational risks, and implement control measures item by item; During the homework process, a dedicated person should be assigned to supervise the entire process; Focus on strengthening the control of the operation behavior of third-party personnel entering dangerous goods loading, unloading, and storage sites.

3. Strictly manage the safety of loading and sampling of dangerous goods at ports. Port dangerous goods enterprises should strengthen the safety management of dangerous goods transportation vehicles entering and leaving the enterprise, strictly implement safety inspections in accordance with regulations, and vehicles with incomplete procedures or safety hazards are not allowed to operate. Strictly follow safety regulations and have specialized personnel carry out loading and unloading operations and sampling. Vehicle drivers are strictly prohibited from operating in violation of regulations.

3、 Focus on establishing and improving a long-term mechanism for safety management

Local transportation (port) management departments at all levels should combine the rectification of prominent problems with the three-year action plan for special rectification of safety production in the port field, adhere to addressing both the symptoms and root causes, focus on key areas, fill gaps, strengthen weak areas, and lay a foundation, and accelerate the establishment and improvement of a dual prevention mechanism for safety production.

（1） Efforts will be made to enhance the intrinsic safety level of port enterprises.

The transportation (port) management department where the port is located should urge port dangerous goods enterprises to increase their investment in safety production. By the end of 2020, all storage yards and tanks involving "two key and one major" areas will be equipped with safety monitoring and surveillance equipment; Realize real-time monitoring, intelligent perception, and risk warning of important facilities and equipment in high-risk workplaces and links by the end of 2021; Establish and implement a safety production liability insurance system for dangerous goods operations by the end of 2022. At least 2 and 1 of the main safety management personnel in port dangerous goods storage enterprises and loading and unloading enterprises shall have intermediate or above chemical technical titles or registered safety engineer qualifications in chemical safety. The proportion of intermediate or above registered safety engineers in the safety management personnel of storage enterprises shall reach 15% according to national regulations and gradually increase. Seriously organize and carry out vocational skills competitions for dangerous goods practitioners in ports, continuously improving the safety and emergency response capabilities of practitioners, especially frontline practitioners.

（2） Efforts will be made to enhance safety supervision capabilities and major risk control capabilities.

The transportation (port) management department where the port is located should strengthen the port supervision and law enforcement forces, continuously enhance the business training of regulatory personnel, innovate regulatory methods and approaches, and strengthen credit joint punishment. Actively promote the governments of ports with large storage volumes of hazardous chemicals to implement the requirements of the "Opinions on Comprehensive Strengthening of Safety Production of Hazardous Chemicals" issued by the Central Office and the State Office, and to equip and strengthen the supervision and law enforcement forces for dangerous goods safety in ports. Seriously carry out major risk assessments in areas with concentrated dangerous goods at ports, and strictly implement risk dynamic monitoring and control measures.

（3） Efforts will be made to enhance emergency rescue capabilities.

The transportation (port) management department in the port location should strictly supervise port enterprises to strengthen the construction of emergency response capabilities for dangerous goods, and improve emergency plans for accidents such as fires, explosions, leaks, and poisoning; Seriously implement the main responsibility for fire safety and relevant fire safety work systems, and establish dedicated fire brigades for major ports and large enterprises storing flammable and explosive dangerous goods in accordance with the law; Promote local governments to coordinate the construction of firefighting capabilities in both land and water areas of ports, and incorporate the emergency response and firefighting of dangerous goods in ports into the urban emergency system.

Ministry of Transport

August 27, 2020

Article source: Ministry of Transport