Dec. 2, 2025 - China’s Ministry of Emergency Management has officially issued the “Safety Specification for Refractory Materials Production” (AQ2023-2025), which will take effect on June 1, 2026 as a mandatory industry standard. The new regulation replaces the 2008 version and marks the most comprehensive upgrade to safety management requirements in the refractory industry in nearly two decades. The standard aims to strengthen risk prevention, improve operational safety, and address new technologies and processes emerging in the sector.

Refractory manufacturing involves high-risk operations such as raw material calcining, crushing and milling, high-temperature firing, and electric-fusion melting, facing hazards including dust explosions, toxic gas leaks, high-temperature burns, and mechanical injuries. With expanding industrial automation and advanced production processes, the previous 2008 standard could no longer meet current safety needs across all production scenarios. The newly revised standard introduces systematic and detailed safety measures aligned with the latest industrial practices.

Key updates and changes in the new standard

1. Stronger risk prevention and hazard control mechanisms

The standard introduces a dual prevention system requiring enterprises to implement graded risk control and continuous hazard identification and remediation, transforming safety management from reactive measures to proactive prevention.

2. Updated classification for fire-hazard zones

Production buildings and storage sites are reclassified with stricter requirements. Facilities such as methanol and ethanol storage are categorized as Class A fire-risk areas, while pulverized coal sections and aluminum-magnesium powder warehouses fall under Class B, aligning with national fire-protection standards (GB50016).

3. Expanded safety rules covering new production processes

For the first time, the standard includes safety provisions for fiber products melting, flow control, fiber collection, pulping, as well as electric-fused refractories such as electric furnace and oxygen-lance operations, requiring insulation protection and cooling-water temperature alarms to fill regulatory gaps.

4. Integrated environmental and safety requirements

New rules target ventilation, dust removal, and flue gas desulfurization/denitrification systems. Dust-laden or toxic air must not be recirculated, combustible dust needs independent dust-collection systems, and ammonia pipelines must be nitrogen-purged before startup.

5. More detailed operational and equipment safety measures

Requirements include maximum raw-material stack heights, pressure-relief protocols for aluminum wet-milling, safety interlocks for hydraulic presses, strict permit systems for high-risk operations, and mandatory lockout-tagout and supervision during maintenance.

6. Strengthened public utilities and auxiliary system safety

Specifications include explosion-proof electrical installations, fall-prevention systems on lifting machinery, conveyor emergency stop devices, and transformer room protective barriers, significantly improving overall facility safety.

Implementation requirements

The standard applies to all refractory production activities, including manufacturing and maintenance operations. It requires full safety production responsibility system, dedicated safety management personnel, training and certification for special-operation workers, mandatory use of certified PPE, registration and monitoring of major hazard sources, emergency response plans and regular drills, compliance verification through documentation and on-site inspections.

Officials noted that the new standard will help reduce major industrial accidents and guide enterprises to upgrade safety systems in line with modern production technologies. Companies must complete compliance adjustments before June 1, 2026, including equipment upgrades and system refinement, to support safer and more sustainable industry development.

As the next step, government agencies will conduct training programs to assist industry adoption and accelerate practical implementation.