National strategies for coordinating process safety and COVID‐19 pandemic control in China

Abstract

During the COVID‐19 pandemic, while China blocked the spread of the coronavirus, its process safety status still maintained a positive trend. Hence, an in‐depth exploration of China's experience and lessons in coordinating epidemic control and process safety is an urgent need to exchange knowledge with other countries to prevent similar catastrophes. This paper comprehensively traces China's national strategies in coordinating epidemic control and safety regulation since the end of 2019 through information collection, literature surveys, and investigative interviews. According to the characteristics of these strategies, China's anti‐pandemic process is divided into three stages: outbreak, concentrated resumption of work, and normalization of epidemic prevention. On this basis, the main risks of each stage and the response measures taken by the Chinese government are further subdivided. Furthermore, the changes brought about by COVID‐19 on Chinese safety regulators are also discussed.