Vietnam Amends Hazardous Chemical Safety Regulation: Amendment 1:2024 Highlights

On October 10, 2024, the Minister of Industry and Trade (MOIT) officially issued Amendment 1:2024 QCVN 05A:2020/BCT, which amends the National Technical Regulation on Safety in Production, Commerce, Use, Storage, and Transportation of Hazardous Chemicals (QCVN 05A: 2020/BCT), through Circular No. 19/2024/TT-BCT. The amendment, developed by the Drafting Team to address practical challenges in hazardous chemical management, was evaluated by the Ministry of Science and Technology and approved by the Vietnam Chemicals Agency. 

Background on QCVN 05A: 2020/BCT and Amendment Process 

The management of chemical activities in Vietnam has generally improved since December 21, 2020, when Circular No.48/2020/TT-BCT promulgated QCVN 05A: 2020/BCT. However, the practical implementation has shown that some of the provisions are incorrect or impractical, thus necessitating the amendment. 

After consulting on a proposed amendment to the National Technical Regulation, MOIT submitted it to the Vietnam Chemicals Agency for approval on March 22, 2024. Only a few of the provisions of QCVN 05A:2020/BCT were amended in Amendment 1:2024. The remaining elements of QCVN 05A:2020/BCT, which was issued in conjunction with the Minister of Industry and Trade's Circular No. 48/2020/TT-BCT on December 21, 2020, are retained. 

Key Provisions and Compliance Deadlines 

This Circular comes into force on April 15, 2025. All factories and warehouses containing hazardous chemicals that are put into operation before April 15, 2025, must meet the requirements laid down in Amendment 1:2024 QCVN 05A:2020/BCT by April 15, 2026, at the latest. 

Appropriate leak and spill warning devices must be installed in factories and warehouses handling hazardous chemicals in liquid and gaseous form. Surveillance cameras are required for solid poisons. Hazardous gas collection and treatment equipment or automatic sprinklers must be installed to respond to accidents involving hazardous substances that can be released into the environment in gas form. 

Chemical collecting systems are required in factories and warehouses containing liquid corrosive chemicals. The minimum capacity of the collecting system must be at least 110% of the capacity of the largest container. Water-reactive chemicals must be placed on pedestals or racks at least 0.3 m above the ground. The storage capacity of the dike system must be at least 110% of the capacity of the largest container. 

Safety Measures for Incident Response 

Every individual in the vicinity of a fire or explosion incident is required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) in order to assist in victim rescue and incident response. Participation in incident response is prohibited for those without personal protective equipment to ensure safety. Additionally, the amendment requires the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the event of a fire or explosion. 

For more details, see Circular No. 19/2024/TT-BCT here.