The huge explosion in March at the Tianjiayi Chemical Company’s plant in China could have been prevented had safety lessons been learnt from previous accidents (see Z. Tang et al. Nature 525, 455; 2015).

China’s chemical and petroleum industry has grown markedly since 2003 (see, for example, go.nature.com/2uatdxa). The number of chemical accidents has risen as a result. The problem needs to be tackled on several fronts, including through stricter legislation and more comprehensive risk assessment and control, backed by international collaboration on scientific research and technology (B. Wang et al. Sci. Total Environ. 643, 1–11; 2018).

Implementing these tightened safety standards is essential as Chinese chemical factories proliferate into southeast Asia, Africa and South America under the auspices of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. International compliance with the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (go.nature.com/2ubn9v5), a global policy framework hosted by the United Nations Environmental Programme, will be crucial to protecting these developing regions.