China passes law to curb equipment accidents

BEIJING - China's legislature on Saturday passed a law on the safety of special equipment including elevators, boilers, cranes and large recreation facilities, amid public concerns following a number of accidents, some of which were fatal.

After three readings over the past two years, the law was passed at the bimonthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature.

The law will take effect on January 1.

Accidents involving special equipment claimed 18 lives and injured five people in China last month, said Chen Xitong, spokesman for the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), on Thursday.

The law clarifies that enterprises producing, selling, operating, using and testing special equipment take legal responsibility for its safety. The government is responsible for supervision and management.

Those violating the law could be fined up to 2 million yuan ($325,400) in serious cases.

Pressure vessels, pressure pipelines, lifting appliances, passenger ropeways and special vehicles are also listed as special equipment.

According to the law, producers, sellers and users of special equipment shall obtain state-issued licenses and certifications. It also clarifies the compulsory implementation of technological safety standards, which are also applicable to imported special equipment.

Government supervision will focus on the use of special equipment in schools, kindergartens, hospitals, bus stations, malls, parks and other public areas.

The law requires a recall mechanism for defective equipment and demands that worn-out or potentially dangerous equipment be discarded.

The watchdog should keep files on all registered special equipment. Any organization or person can report violations to the watchdog.

The law encourages buying insurance for special equipment safety. South China's Guangdong Province has started a trial operation of such insurance.

Xu Xinjian, who was in charge of policy and regulation affairs of the AQSIQ, said the administration will modify and specify its current regulations on special equipment safety and strengthen checks in accordance with the law.