Sun Wenxiu, Vice-Director, Economic Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong SAR (Liaison Office) led a delegation to visit the FHKI on 4 March.  Mr Sun said that as the Central Government is gravely concerned about production safety, the State Council has made 2008 ‘The Year of Hazard Control (Production Safety)’.  Enterprises are expected to take all necessary precautionary measures on production safety to prevent industrial accidents.   FHKI Group 1 chairman Jimmy Kwok and FHKI director-general Dennis Yau informed Mr Sun that FHKI members have always conducted their operations with utmost regard for production safety and would assume responsibility to prevent accidents.  They urged the Liaison Office to keep the FHKI informed of any new regulations so that members could be notified on the latest developments. For details regarding ‘The Year of Hazard Control’, please refer to the following websites:

l           http://www.chinasafety.gov.cn/zhuantibaodao/2008-01/12/content_271003.htm  

l           http://www.chinasafety.gov.cn/zhuantibaodao/2008-03/03/content_274639.htm

In addition, the current Regulations on the Safety Administration of Dangerous Chemicals came into force on 15 March 2002.  To step up enforcement of regulations and supervision of production, storage, use, trading and transportation of dangerous chemicals as well as increase the penalty for infringement, the Office of Legislative Affairs of the State Council and State Administration of Work Safety have revised the existing regulations and worked out a consultation document on Regulations on the Safety Administration of Dangerous Chemicals.  The authority is now seeking public views on the matter.  The major points of the consultation document are as follow:

1.              Improving the system and measures regarding supervision of production, storage and use of dangerous chemicals;

2.              Tightening supervision of the trading of dangerous chemicals;

3.              Improving the regulations relating to the transportation of dangerous chemicals;

4.              Revising the registration system of dangerous chemicals; and

5.              Revising the provisions on legal liability

For details regarding the consultation document, please refer to the following website:

http://www.chinasafety.gov.cn/zuixinyaowen/2008-02/29/content_274487.htm