In China, non-governmental bodies and entities involved in chemicals management and other related activities are divided into three types: industrial organizations and entities, public organizations, and research institutes.

6.1 Industrial Organizations and Entities

Since China began to build a market-oriented economy, great changes have taken place in the chemicals sector. As the government no longer administers this sector directly, enterprises independently engage in production and marketing. Many professional group companies have been established to adapt to the changes in the market and meet the requirements for business development. Such companies include China Natural Gas Group Co., China Petrochemical Industry Group Co., Lu Tian Hua (Group) Co., Ltd., Shanghai Huayi (Group) Co., Jinhua Chemical Industry (Group) Co., Ltd., Tianjin Bohai Chemical Industrial Group Co. and China Lekai Film Group Co.

While carrying out their business activities, China’s industrial organizations and entities observe the State’s laws, regulations and policies on environmental protection and pay attention to safe production and to protecting workers’ health. They formulate their own regulations and rules in accordance with their own conditions, and publicize such rules and regulations among their workers and staff members. Safety inspections are organized frequently and regularly to remove hidden perils and ensure safety in production. They have also established a chemical accident emergency system so as to ensure immediate responses to accidents. A system of poison registration is in force, with poison registration files kept by the enterprises. MSDS are put in prominent places at sites exposed to poisons, to help workers understand the characteristics of poisons and avoid intake of poisons, and facilitate first-aid treatment after poisoning. The ILO 1990 Convention on the Safety of Chemicals at the Workplace (No. 170) has been implemented by industrial organizations and entities, playing a significant part in helping these enterprises to improve and standardize the safety management of chemicals.

These enterprises have a positive attitude toward clean production. In 1995, the China Chemical Industry Technical Association for the Prevention and Control of Pollution was established to promote clean production. The association has played an active role in promoting environmental protection in the chemical industry. Many chemical enterprises have taken the initiative in the comprehensive utilization of resources, reducing the discharge of and pollution from waste gas, waste water and waste residues. Production enterprises also actively support government departments in the updating of laws and regulations concerning environmental protection. They also develop international cooperation and carry out studies on overall control of pollutants.

6.2 Public Organizations

A great number of public organizations in China show great interest in the sound management of chemicals. Such organizations are divided mainly into three types: industrial associations, environmental protection societies and medical societies.

An industrial association is a voluntary non-governmental organization of enterprises of the same or related trades, registered with the relevant government department. Such associations include the China Pesticide Industry Association, China Chlorine Alkali Industry Association, China Nitrogen Fertilizer Industry Association, and China Phosphate Fertilizer Industry Association.

The major roles of these associations are to conduct exchanges concerning business activities of the industry, including development, science and technology, and business strategies; regulate the business activities of the industry, offer the workers in the industry training in production technology, labor safety, hygiene and health, and environmental protection; implement the State’s laws, regulations and standards, and organize environmental protection activities. These associations, concerned about chemical hazards, actively participate in chemical control campaigns, implement the ILO 1990 Convention on the Safety of Chemicals at the Workplace (No. 170) and provide information for relevant government departments to manage chemicals.

Such societies include the Chinese Society of Environmental Science, China Industrial Association for Environmental Protection, China Environment Journalists’ Association, and Chinese Environmental Protection Foundation. The Chinese Society of Environmental Science has several branches. It conducts academic and technical exchanges concerning environmental science, organizes symposiums and visits, and publicizes knowledge of environmental protection. They concern themselves with issues related to environmental protection, for instance, the discharge of pollutants, and actively participate in activities to control chemicals.

The China Preventive Medicine Society, China Society of Toxicology and Chinese Medical Association conduct various types of academic and technical exchanges concerning the preventive medicine and toxicology, including environmental health, labor hygiene and occupational diseases, and food nutrition and hygiene. They are concerned with the impact of chemicals on human health, especially the impact of producing environmental chemicals on workers’ health. They also make safety assessments of chemicals, and provide technology and information to relevant government departments for the management of chemicals.

6.3 Research Institutes

In China, many research institutes have made great contributions to the management of chemicals. These institutes belong to different ministries, such as those of the chemical industry, communications, agriculture, environmental protection, and health. They have made various types of studies on chemicals, collected information on chemicals extensively and conducted information exchanges. They have assisted government departments in the formulation of laws, regulations, standards and management programs. They have also provided government departments with a scientific basis for the latter’s decision-making concerning chemicals management.

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