Machinery and equipment safety China, Japan.

Rapid industrialisation in the region, increased automation and the development of digitalisation have created a need for common safety requirements, but a unified standardisation system covering the whole of Asia has not yet been established. With regard to machinery and equipment safety, safety requirements are mainly regulated by national laws and standard models.

In China, the regulation of machinery and equipment safety is based on the national GB and GB/T standards, which are controlled by the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and the Certification and Accreditation Administration (CNCA). The Chinese Compulsory Certification (CCC) system is responsible for overseeing product safety and compliance throughout the country.

CCC marking is mandatory for the sale of many types of industrial and electrical equipment, and its absence may prevent the import, trade and placement of equipment in the Chinese economic zone.

Accredited testing institutes and inspection organisations monitor equipment testing before issuing CCC marking. Certification is only valid for a certain period of time and requires regular inspections to maintain its validity. The Chinese Certification Authority regularly updates its product lists, which specify which devices are subject to mandatory certification. With the updates, certification also applies to products that were not previously required.

The Chinese certification system focuses mainly on testing finished products and confirming compliance with technical requirements. The difference in compliance is noticeable, as in the European Union, the EN ISO 12100 standard emphasises risk management and safety assurance at the design stage. In China, safety checks are often only carried out after the official testing and certification process has been completed.

After certification, an application can be made for voluntary CQC marking for the product, which serves as an additional example of quality and safety assurance, but does not replace the mandatory CCC certification.