State Council Safety Commission Office reported a typical case of poisoning and asphyxiation accident

Recently, the State Council Office of the State Council Safety Commission has notified various regions, relevant departments, and central enterprises of the "1018" major poisoning and suffocation accident at Xinjiang Bayi Iron and Steel Co., Ltd. The accident occurred in the oxygen production process of the Energy and Environmental Protection Department of Bayi Iron and Steel Co., Ltd., where the contracting unit Xi'an Shaangu Power Co., Ltd. conducted unauthorized cleaning of the air compressor lubricant tank, resulting in 4 deaths. The notification pointed out three prominent issues exposed by the accident: lack of management of the contracting unit. Bayi Iron and Steel entrusted the safety management of the contracting unit but did not conduct safety inspections at the limited space worksite, leading to uncontrolled and unmanaged situations for on-site workers; non-standard limited space operations. Xi'an Shaangu did not conduct safety briefings for limited space operations, did not implement safety measures such as ventilation, testing, and partitioning, and engaged in risky operations; lack of profound lessons learned from accidents. On January 8, 2023, Xi'an Shaangu, as a contracting unit, had a poisoning and suffocation accident at a metallurgical company during a limited space operation, resulting in 5 deaths. However, lessons from the accident were not deeply absorbed, and there were still serious loopholes in safety management, leading to a tragic recurrence of the accident. The notification emphasized the need to strictly adhere to the "four cannot be overlooked" principle, expedite the accident investigation and handling, and rigorously hold responsible parties accountable. In response to the two major accidents that occurred during Xi'an Shaangu's contracting operations, an inspection and investigation should be carried out on Xi'an Shaangu to thoroughly investigate the root causes of the recurring accidents and impose strict penalties in accordance with the law.