On July 3, 2023, the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) issued a call for comments on mandatory national standard “Technical specification of work safety in confined spaces (draft for comments)”. The deadline for comments is September 3.

The standard specifies the safety management requirements for the works conducted in confined spaces as well as the safety technical requirements for their whole work processes, aiming to provide a fundamental and generic technical standard for regulating all the works carried out in confined spaces.

Many overseas standards were used for reference in developing this standard, including amongst others, the United States standard " Criteria for a Recommended Standard：Working in Confined Spaces (No.80-106)”, “Safety Requirements for Confined Spaces (ANSI/ASSP Z117.1)”, “Guide for Safe Confined Space Entry and Work (NFPA350)”, British standard “Safe Work in Confined Space Approved Code of Practice and Guidance” and Canadian standard “Management of work in confined spaces(Z1006)”, etc.

This standard has basically covered the technical content of GB 8958-2006 Safety regulation for working under hazardous condition of the oxygen deficiency, so would replace it in the future. This standard would also supplement two other work safety standards GB 30871-2022 Safety specifications of special work in hazardous chemicals enterprises and GB 16993-2021 Safety regulations for avoid working under hazardous condition of oxygen deficiency in enclosed spaces aboard ships, to further improve the safety of China's work envrionment.

Should you need more information about or English translation of this standard, please contact us at: contact@bestao-consulting.com