EEO AND DIVERSITY
 
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents.  Fundamental to our mission is our obligation to honor the diversity of our workforce and ensure that all employees are treated with respect and dignity. 
 
The Board understands and support the value of diversity in improving organizational efficiency and effectiveness.  The goal is to create a climate of innovation, opportunity, tolerance, and success within the CSB that capitalizes on the cultural, professional, ethnic, and personal diversity of our workforce.
 
The Board is committed to the full and meaningful implementation of Equal Employment Opportunity policies for all CSB employees and applicants. We must maintain an environment within the CSB free of discrimination where all employees are treated fairly.
 
The CSB, under the appropriate laws and regulations, will:
 
  • Ensure equal employment opportunity based on merit and qualification, without discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender discrimination), age (40 or older), national origin, disability, status as a parent, genetic information, or filing of a complaint, participation in discrimination or harassment complaint proceedings, or other opposition to discrimination;
  • Provide for the prompt and fair consideration of complaints of discrimination;
  • Guarantee that EEO covers all personnel and employment programs, management practices, and decisions, including, but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, merit promotions, transfers, reassignments, training and career development, benefits, and separations;
  • Make reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants for employment and employees with physical or mental disabilities, and provide personal assistance services to employees with targeted disabilities, as provided under the Rehabilitation Act and its implementing regulations;
  • Make reasonable accommodations based on applicants’ and employees’ religious beliefs or practices, consistent with Title VII;
  • Provide an environment free from harassment to all employees;
  • Create and maintain an organizational culture that recognizes, values, and supports employee and public diversity and inclusion;
  • Develop objectives within the CSB’s operation and strategic planning process to meet the goals of this policy; and,
  • Implement affirmative programs to carry out this policy within the CSB.
For more information on the CSB’s EEO policies and procedures, please see our board orders at the following links:
 
 
 
 
 
 
FILING A DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINT
 
Any CSB employee or applicant who believes that he or she has been subjected to discrimination or retaliation should contact EEO Director Shauna Lawhorne at (202) 384-2839 or [email protected] within 45 days of the incident. 
 
EEO laws prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, and genetic information. The role of the EEO counselor is to conduct interviews to obtain a full understanding of the problem, review records relating to a complaint or concern, attempt to resolve complaints informally, and advise aggrieved persons concerning rights and procedures for filing formal complaints. Please note that employees are protected from retaliation for filing a complaint, participating in an investigation of an EEO complaint, or opposing an employment practice made illegal under any of the statutes enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Retaliation would provide grounds for an additional discrimination claim.
 
 
ACCESSIBILITY
 
The CSB is committed to making its programs and activities accessible to people with disabilities. As stated in our policy, we will provide reasonable accommodation:
  • to assist a qualified disabled employee in performing the essential functions of his or her job and/or in enjoying the benefits and privileges of employment equal to those enjoyed by other employees, and 
  • to assist a qualified disabled applicant in fully participating in the recruitment and selection process 
We also provide personal assistance services as a form of reasonable accommodation, and comply with the requirements of section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968.
 
 
 
 
Section 508 Program:
 
Section 508 requires that individuals with disabilities, who are members of the public seeking information or services from us, have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to that provided to the public who are not individuals with disabilities, unless an undue burden would be imposed on us. Section 508 also requires us to ensure that Federal employees with disabilities have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to the access to and use of information and data by Federal employees who are not individuals with disabilities, unless an undue burden would be imposed on us.
 
If you are an individual with a disability and cannot find or read the information needed, or have comments on the accessibility of our web site send email to our Web Content Manager. Please reference the page you were viewing so we can forward it to the correct point of contact.
 
Architectural Barriers Act of 1968:
 
The standards issued under the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) of 1968 by the United States Access Board help to ensure that CSB employees, applicants for CSB employment, and members of the public with disabilities can gain ready access to CSB buildings and facilities.
 
The Access Board's accessibility standards are available on their website. 
 
If you have questions or concerns about physical access to CSB buildings, please contact CSB EEO Director Shauna Lawhorne at (202) 384-2839 or [email protected]. If you believe there has been an ABA violation, you may file a complaint with the Access Board using an Online ABA Complaint Form or by e-mail, fax, or mail. For more information on how to file an ABA complaint, visit the Access Board’s Complaint Form page. If we believe a non-CSB entity is responsible for the alleged violation, we will try to provide you the contact information for that other entity.