About The CSB

The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the agency's board members are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

The CSB conducts root cause investigations of chemical accidents at fixed industrial facilities. Root causes are usually deficiencies in safety management systems, but can be any factor that would have prevented the accident if that factor had not occurred. Other accident causes often involve equipment failures, human errors, unforeseen chemical reactions or other hazards. The agency does not issue fines or citations, congress designed the CSB to be non-regulatory and independent of other agencies so that its investigations enhance public safety, the safety of workers and inform industry.

The CSB investigative staff includes chemical and mechanical engineers, industrial safety experts, and other specialists with experience in the private and public sectors. Many investigators have years of chemical industry experience.

After a CSB team reaches a chemical incident site, investigators begin their work by conducting detailed interviews of witnesses such as plant employees, managers, and neighbors. Chemical samples and equipment obtained from accident sites are sent to independent laboratories for testing. Company safety records, inventories, and operating procedures are examined as investigators seek an understanding of the circumstances of the accident.

Over a course of several months, investigators sift through evidence, consult with Board members, and review operations and industry practices before drafting key findings, root causes and recommendations. During the process, investigators may confer with plant managers, workers, labor groups, and other government authorities. The investigative process generally takes six to twelve months to complete, and a draft report is then submitted to the Board for consideration. Reports may be adopted through a written vote of the Board or in a formal public meeting near the incident site or in Washington, DC.

In July 2022, as part of the CSB’s new commitment to ransparency and information sharing, we began making data from the agency’s Accidental Release Reporting Rule (ARRR) publicly available on the CSB’s website. As of January 16, 2025, the data submitted to the CSB since the ARRR went into effect in 2020 covers reports of 460 chemical incidents involving fatalities at 68 facilities, serious injuries at 249 facilities, and substantial property damage at 214 facilities nationwide. Reportable incidents have occurred in 43 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Volume One of the Incident Reports was released on January 2025 and covers 26 accidental release events in 15 states: California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. Together, the events resulted in 5 fatalities, 17 serious injuries, and nearly $700 million in property damage. Volume One of the reports is available on the CSB’s website at:
https://www.csb.gov/assets/1/6/csb_incident_reports_volume_one_2025-01-14.pdf.

Both accident investigations and hazard investigations lead to new safety recommendations, which are the Board's principal tool for achieving positive change. Recommendations are issued to government agencies, companies, trade associations, labor unions, and other groups. Implementation of each safety recommendation is tracked and monitored by CSB staff. When recommended actions have been completed satisfactorily, the recommendation may be closed by a Board vote.

While some recommendations may be adopted immediately, others require extensive effort and advocacy to achieve implementation. Board members and staff work to promote safety actions based on CSB recommendations. In many cases, the lessons from CSB investigations are applicable to many organizations beyond the company investigated. Many CSB recommendations have been implemented in industry, leading to safer plants, workers, and communities.

About The CSB

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