China releases measures for grading OSH management system

On June 2, 2021, China’s Ministry of Emergency Management released the “Measures for grading construction of occupational safety and health management system ” (draft for soliciting opinions) and began soliciting opinions. The deadline for soliciting opinions is July 1, 2021. The Law was enacted to promote standardization in occupational safety and to encourage the establishment of a framework for managing the entire range of activities in production. The outline is as follows.

Scope of application
Enterprises in the chemical industry (including the petrochemical industry), pharmaceuticals, hazardous chemicals, building materials, machinery, light industry, textiles, commerce, and other industries.

Grade classification
Classified as level 1, 2, or 3 according to the degree of standardization of occupational safety and health management (level 1 is the highest).

Grading agency

Level 1 enterprises: ministry of Emergency Management.

Level2 and 3 enterprises: department defined by provincial department of emergency management.

Grading procedure

• Self-assessment by the enterprises.
• Application: submit an application to the corresponding agency listed above according to the grade applied for.
• Assessment: includes on-site inspection of the enterprises.
• Public announcement: public announcement on the website for at least 5 working days.
• Public notice.

Conditions to be met by the applicant enterprises (partly only)

• A safety production management organization has been established or a safety production manager has been assigned.
• No work-related fatalities, accidents resulting in three or more serious injuries, or accidents resulting in direct economic losses of 1 million yuan or more have occurred in the year prior to the date of application.

Differentiated management according to grading level.

• The frequency of crackdowns and inspections will be reduced for level 1 enterprises.
• When production is restricted or halted for policy reasons, level 1 enterprises will in principle be excluded.
• When inspecting production restart after a suspension, level 1 enterprises will be given priority.

The original text of the above text can be viewed at the following URL (in simplified Chinese).
https://www.mem.gov.cn/gk/zfxxgkpt/fdzdgknr/202106/t20210602_386953.shtml

Reference information (definition of terms):
Occupational safety and health management system( in Chinese企业安全生产标准化) : It means that the enterprise should carry out the responsibility of safety production, establish and maintain the safety production management system with the participation of all employees at all stages of business activities, carry out the overall management of production safety and occupational health work and realize systematization of safety and health management, the establishment of norms for operational behavior at the workplace and intrinsic safety of equipment and facilities while at the same time keep improving them.