Standards go first and win-win  

Standards go first and win-win

Zhou Xingyu Shandong Xingyu Gloves Co., LTD  

With the revision of standardization Law of the People’s Republic of China, The State Administration for Market Regulation and Standardization Administration of the People’s Republic of China jointly issued Personal Protective Equipment Specification GB 39800.1-2020 Part 1 on December 29, 2020:  General Provisions, GB 39800.2-2020 Personal protective equipment Equipment specification part 2: Petroleum, chemical industry, natural gas, GB 39800.3-2020 Personal protective equipment specification Part 3: Metallurgy, non-ferrous metals, GB 39800.4-2020 Personal protective equipment specification Part 4:  Non-coal mine mountain (hereinafter referred to as “Equipment Specification”).  

The four national standards will come into effect on January 1, 2022.  The promulgation of the Equipment Specification not only injects vitality into the personal protective equipment market, but also escorts workers and makes the equipment of personal protective equipment have standards to follow.  In addition, the current international situation changes, the implementation of “equipment specification” to promote the industry standardization level at the same time to stimulate domestic demand, for the promotion of “double cycle” has special significance.  

Introduction of similar foreign standards  

European and American countries have relatively perfect systems for the equipment management of personal protective equipment, including product standards, selection standards, equipment standards, equipment supervision guidelines, etc., which are used as laws and regulations to restrict enterprises.  The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has formulated the federal standards for individual protective equipment for various industries, which are 29 CFFR1910, 29 CFR 1915, 29 CFR 1917, 29 CFR 1918, and 29 CFR 1926.  The European Union has adopted a framework Directive on occupational safety and health (89/391/EEC).  The aim of the Directive is to ensure that operators in the EU have the necessary occupational safety and health protection, requiring employers to assess 

At present, China has formulated GB/T 29510-2013 Basic Requirements for The Equipment of Personal Protective Equipment, which puts forward general requirements on the identification principles and methods of hazardous factors, equipment procedures, management and training of personal protective equipment, but lacks the equipment management content of specific industries and specific types of work.  

As for the equipment standard of personal protective equipment, we have to admit that there is still a big gap between China and developed countries in Europe and America.  Therefore, personal protective equipment manufacturers are eagerly looking forward to the promulgation and implementation of the Equipment Specification.  

Of course, the promulgation and implementation of “equipment standards” will benefit the majority of workers most directly.  

“Equipment standards” for workers escort  

Personal protective equipment is an important part of safety production.  When technical measures cannot completely eliminate dangerous and harmful factors in production, wearing personal protective equipment becomes the last means for workers to defend against external injuries and ensure personal safety and health.  

The standardization law of the People’s Republic of China (November 4, 2017, the 12th 13th meeting, the standing committee of the National People’s Congress revised) specified in article 10: “to safeguard the health and life and property security, national security, ecological security and meet the demand of economic and social management basic technical requirements, shall formulate compulsory national standards”.  

Article 45 of the newly revised Work Safety Law of the People’s Republic of China clearly stipulates that “the production and business operation entities must provide the employees with labor protection articles that meet the national or industrial standards, and supervise and educate the employees to wear and use them in accordance with the standards for use”.  Therefore, the “Equipment Specification” came into being, which will provide the basis of equipment, law enforcement and supervision for the management of personal protective equipment for the majority of employees, and provide guidance and restriction for the equipment of personal protective equipment for Chinese manufacturers, so as to ensure the life, health and safety of the majority of employees in China.  That is to say, starting from the implementation of the Equipment Standards, workers have the right to require enterprises to provide them with protective equipment in accordance with the requirements of the Equipment Standards.  The implementation of the Equipment Specification effectively ensures that the equipment of workers’ personal protective equipment has laws to follow and rules to follow.  

The equipment specification brings business opportunities for manufacturers and avoids risks for employers  

As individual protective equipment production enterprise, cooperation of many enterprises and institutions (mainly state-owned enterprises) offer employees with qualified individual protective equipment, but there are still many enterprises don’t have this consciousness, or more on according to the price factor to select individual protective equipment, it shows that the individual protective equipment has vast untapped market.  With the promulgate and implementation of “Equipment Specification”, this market will be rapidly opened, for personal protective equipment manufacturers, is undoubtedly a huge business opportunity.  For unit of choose and employ persons, the surface is to increase the cost for labourers are equipped with individual protective equipment, actual it is largely reduced the production safety accidents or reduce the production safety accidents of personal injury and property damage, from this level, the rules with the promulgation and implementation of to a certain extent, to circumvent the risk of production safety as the unit of choose and employ persons.  

“Equipment specifications” for the market into vitality  

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, although the domestic COVID-19 epidemic has been basically brought under control, the COVID-19 epidemic abroad has not significantly improved.  In this situation, the import and export business of production enterprises has been greatly affected, and the current international political situation changes, enterprises need to take out more energy to develop the domestic market.  

“Equipment Specification” just provides policy support for personal protective equipment manufacturers to develop the domestic market.  From this perspective, the promulgation and implementation of equipment Specifications not only improves the standardization level of personal protective equipment, but also boosts the domestic demand of personal protective equipment market.  Under the current political and economic situation at home and abroad, it is of positive significance to promote the economic recovery of the domestic market and improve the ability of the domestic market to resist risks.  

In short, the promulgation and implementation of “equipment specification” has brought business opportunities to production enterprises, resisted risks for employing units, protected the rights and interests of workers, activated the market, and stimulated domestic demand, which can be said to form a win-win situation.