Vietnam Amends 14 Technical Regulations on Mining Safety and Explosion-Protected Equipment
Reference source : Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT).
Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) issued Circular No. 44/2026/TT-BCT on 27 August 2026, amending 14 national technical regulations covering mining safety and explosion-protected electrical equipment used in underground mines. The Circular will enter into force on 1 November 2026. It is relevant to Vietnamese and foreign manufacturers, importers, distributors, mining operators and conformity-assessment bodies supplying specialized underground-mine equipment.
The amendments cover electric blasting machines, mine hoists, powered hydraulic supports and self-contained mine self-rescuers. They also address explosion-protected transformer stations, generators, circuit breakers, starters, 6 kV distribution equipment, protection relays, cables, motors, soft starters and underground lighting equipment. Applicability must be assessed against the individual QCVN for each product rather than generalized across all explosion-protected equipment.
Conformity Requirements
The amended regulations may affect technical specifications, testing, certification, declarations of conformity and documentation required before equipment is placed on the Vietnamese market. For example, the amendment to QCVN 14:2021/BCT expressly requires manufacturers and importers of covered explosion-protected circuit breakers to register a declaration of conformity in accordance with Decree No. 22/2026/NĐ-CP. Other equipment categories must be reviewed against their respective amended regulations because the applicable procedures may differ.
Companies should map affected model numbers against the revised QCVNs and review existing certificates, test reports and conformity declarations. Where foreign test evidence is used, manufacturers and importers should confirm that the laboratory, testing method and certification arrangement remain acceptable under the amended regulation. Any identified documentation or testing gaps should be addressed before 1 November 2026.
The Circular is limited to the mining-safety and explosion-protected products covered by the 14 listed QCVNs. It should not automatically be applied to explosion-protected electrical equipment intended for other industrial environments. Product function, installation location, protection concept and intended mine use will be important when determining applicability.