Regulation on the Emergency Response to and Investigation and Handling of Electric Power Safety Accidents

Regulation on the Emergency Response to and Investigation and Handling of Electric Power Safety Accidents Order of the State Council of the People's Republic of China (No. 599) The Regulation on the Emergency Response to and Investigation and Handling of Electric Power Safety Accidents, as adopted at the 159th executive meeting of the State Council on June 15, 2011, is hereby issued and shall come into force on September 1, 2011. Premier: Wen Jiabao July 7, 2011 Regulation on the Emergency Response to and Investigation and Handling of Electric Power Safety Accidents Chapter I General Provisions Article 1 This Regulation is formulated to strengthen the emergency response to electric power safety accidents, regulate the investigation and handling of electric power safety accidents, and control, alleviate and eliminate the damage caused by electric power safety accidents. Article 2 For the purpose of this Regulation, “electric power safety accidents” means accidents that occur during power generation or power grid operation, which affect the safe and sound operation of the electric power system or normal electric power supply (including accidents in thermal power plants that affect normal heat supply). Article 3 Electric power safety accidents (hereinafter referred to as “accidents”) are classified into extremely serious accidents, serious accidents, relatively serious accidents and ordinary accidents based on their impact on the safe and sound operation of the electric power system or the normal supply of electric power (heat). Accident grading standards are listed in the attached schedule of this Regulation. Where any item of the accident grading standards needs to be adjusted, the electric power regulatory authority of the State Council shall put forward a plan on such adjustment and report it to the State Council for approval. For a city where a provincial people's government is located, of which the power supply is based on an independent provincial power grid, or a provincial power grid that is connected to other provinces by a single power transmission line, or any other districted city or county-level city of which the power supply is based on a single power transmission line or a single transformer station, the grading standards for power grid load reductions or accidents causing power failure to users shall be otherwise formulated by the electric power regulatory authority of the State Council and submitted to the State Council for approval. Article 4 The electric power regulatory authority of the State Council shall strengthen the supervision over and administration of electric power safety, and, in accordance with law, establish all sound rules for the emergency response to and investigation and handling of accidents, and organize or participate in the investigation and handling of accidents. The electric power regulatory authority, energy department and other relevant departments of the State Council, local people's governments and relevant departments shall, in accordance with the power and procedures prescribed by the state, organize, coordinate and participate in the emergency response to accidents. Article 5 Electric power enterprises and users, as well as other relevant entities and individuals shall comply with the administrative provisions on electric power safety, and take precautions to prevent and avoid such accidents. Key electric power users determined by relevant departments of local people's governments at or above the county level shall, in accordance with the provisions of the electric power regulatory authority of the State Council, set up their own emergency backup power supply, and strengthen the management of safe use of electric power. Article 6 After an accident occurs, the electric power enterprise and other relevant entities shall, as required, report the accident in a timely and accurate manner, and conduct emergency response so as to prevent the expansion of the accident and alleviate the damage caused by the accident. The electric power enterprise shall resume power generation, power grid operation and the normal supply of electric power (heat) as soon as possible. Article 7 No entity or individual may obstruct or interfere with the reporting of, emergency response to and legal investigation and handing of accidents. Chapter II Reporting of Accidents Article 8 After an accident occurs, relevant personnel on the scene of the accident shall immediately report to the on-duty persons of the power plant and transformer station, on-duty persons of the power dispatching institution, or the on-site director of the electric power enterprise. After relevant persons receive the report, they shall immediately report to the power dispatching institution of the next higher level and the person in charge of the enterprise. The person in charge of the enterprise shall, after receiving the report, immediately report to the local dispatched office of the electric power regulatory authority of the State Council (hereinafter referred to as the “electric power regulatory authority at the place where the accident occurs”) and the work safety administrative department of the local people's government at or above the county level. Where an accident in a thermal power plant affects normal heat supply, the person in charge shall also report to the heat supply administrative department. Where the accident involves the safety of the dam of hydraulic power factory (plant), the person in charge shall, at the same time, report to the water administrative department or the basin administrative body with jurisdiction. No electric power enterprise or any of its personnel may delay or omit the reporting of, or conceal or falsify any information on the accident. Article 9 The electric power regulatory authority at the place where an accident occurs shall, after receiving the accident report, immediately verify relevant information and report to the electric power regulatory authority of the State Council. Where the accident causes power failure to users, the local people's government at or above the county level at the place where the accident occurs shall be notified at the same time. For an extremely serious accident or a serious accident, the electric power regulatory authority of the State Council shall, after receiving the accident report, immediately report to the State Council and notify the work safety administrative department, the energy department and other relevant departments of the State Council. Article 10 An accident report shall cover: 1. the time and location (region) of occurrence of the accident as well as the entity where the accident occurs; 2. the available information on the damage to electrical equipment and facilities, the number of generator (heating) sets out of service, the amount of reduced power grid load or reduced power plant output, and the scope of power (heat) failure; 3. preliminary judgment of the cause of the accident; 4. the measures taken after the accident occurs, the operation mode of power grid, the operation state of generator sets and accident control; and 5. other information that shall be reported. A supplementary report shall be made in a timely manner on new situations that emerge after the accident report is made. Article 11 After an accident occurs, relevant entities and persons shall appropriately protect and preserve the accident scene and relevant materials such as work logs, work tickets and operation tickets, keep in a timely manner such data as fault recorder charts, power dispatching data, and data on the operation of generator sets and power transmission and transformation equipment, and turn over such materials and data to the accident investigation team after the team is formed. Where it is necessary to change the accident scene or remove any electrical equipment for purposes of rescuing p......