Washington, D.C. September 13, 2022 – The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) announced today that it will hold public business meetings on the following dates in fiscal year 2023.   October 27, 2022: https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1604597489?pwd=UHp1Q0k4TUNBeDRRZ2ZOQUl3c3lzQT09 January 26, 2023: https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1605505000?pwd=Yyt4aXhQRmJ5Mm1xME5uSnltcEtVdz09 April 27, 2023: https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1613057790?pwd=QUp6aFdEQThIZUF1MFhXM3ZiSlppUT09 July 27, 2023: https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1609291492?pwd=VVM4QXVxU3lkSE83SUl5RE12Ui9jUT09 All meetings are scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. ET and will be available via Zoom.  No registration is required. CSB Interim Executive Steve Owens said, “The CSB is committed to transparency and information-sharing, and we want to ensure that the public is aware of our upcoming meeting schedule.  We encourage everyone to watch our meetings to learn about what the CSB is doing and also participate in the public comment session.” CSB Board Member Sylvia Johnson said, “I am looking forward to an active and productive year – these meetings are the perfect opportunity to share more about the priorities of the CSB and to get  feedback and perspectives from the public.” The Board’s business meetings are held to inform and update the public on its activities as well as fulfill its requirements to hold a minimum of four public meetings for FY 2023. The Board will review the CSB’s progress in meeting its mission and as appropriate highlight safety products newly released through investigations and safety recommendations. At the close of each meeting, there will be an opportunity for public comment. To submit public comments for the record please email the agency at [email protected]. The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating incidents and hazards that result, or may result, in the catastrophic release of extremely hazardous substances.  The agency's Board Members are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.  CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical accidents and hazards, including physical causes, such as equipment failure, as well as inadequacies in regulations, industry standards, and safety management systems. For further information contact Hillary Cohen, Communications Manager, at [email protected] or (202) 446-8094.  Further information about the agency’s public meetings may be found on the CSB website at: www.csb.gov.   Adblock test (Why?)

Washington, D.C. September 1, 2022 – This week, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) released guidance on the agency’s “Accidental Release Reporting Rule,” which went into effect in March 2020. The new guidance is provided so that owners and operators of facilities involved in the production, processing, handling, or storage of chemical substances may better understand the rule and comply with the requirement to submit a report to the CSB within eight hours after an accidental release has occurred that results in a fatality, serious injury, or substantial property damage. The CSB’s guidance document clarifies key terms found in the reporting regulation, such as what constitutes regulated substances for the reporting requirement and the threshold amounts related to property damage for which reporting is required. The guidance also addresses specific scenarios and emphasizes that if an owner or operator is unsure about whether to report a release to the CSB, they should do so, rather than risk violating the rule by failing to report. The guidance makes clear that while there is no sanction for reporting an accidental release that, in retrospect, did not have to be reported, the failure to make a required report could result in an enforcement action. CSB Interim Executive Steve Owens said, “Our goal is to make sure that owners and operators report chemical releases to the CSB as required by law. While many companies already have been complying with the rule and submitting their required reports, this guidance should help resolve any uncertainties about the reporting requirement. If someone is unsure about what to do, they should report, rather than risk violating the rule.”   In July 2022, the CSB released its first set of data collected from the reporting rule, which includes all the reportable events received by the CSB since the rule went into effect. The CSB’s data is comprised of 162 incidents, of which 25 resulted in fatalities. In addition, 92 of the events resulted in serious injuries, and there were 68 instances of substantial property damage. The CSB guidance document can be found here: https://www.csb.gov/assets/1/17/csb_guidance_on_accidental_release_reporting.pdf?​16818 Full text of the regulation governing the reporting of accidental release can be found at title 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 1604, Reporting of Accidental Releases: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/chapter-VI/part-1604#1604.3​ Visit the CSB’s Accidental Release Reporting Rule webpage at: https://www.csb.gov/news/incident-report-rule-form-/ The CSB’s core mission activities include conducting incident investigations; formulating preventive or mitigative recommendations based on investigation findings and advocating for their implementation; issuing reports containing the findings, conclusions, and recommendations arising from incident investigations; and conducting studies on chemical hazards. The agency’s board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.  The Board does not issue citations or fines but makes safety recommendations to companies, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA. Please visit our website, www.csb.gov.For more information, contact Communications Manager Hillary Cohen at [email protected]. Adblock test (Why?)

Washington, D.C. September 1, 2022 – This week, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) released guidance on the agency’s “Accidental Release Reporting Rule,” which went into effect in March 2020. The new guidance is provided so that owners and operators of facilities involved in the production, processing, handling, or storage of chemical substances may better understand the rule and comply with the requirement to submit a report to the CSB within eight hours after an accidental release has occurred that results in a fatality, serious injury, or substantial property damage. The CSB’s guidance document clarifies key terms found in the reporting regulation, such as what constitutes regulated substances for the reporting requirement and the threshold amounts related to property damage for which reporting is required. The guidance also addresses specific scenarios and emphasizes that if an owner or operator is unsure about whether to report a release to the CSB, they should do so, rather than risk violating the rule by failing to report. The guidance makes clear that while there is no sanction for reporting an accidental release that, in retrospect, did not have to be reported, the failure to make a required report could result in an enforcement action. CSB Interim Executive Steve Owens said, “Our goal is to make sure that owners and operators report chemical releases to the CSB as required by law. While many companies already have been complying with the rule and submitting their required reports, this guidance should help resolve any uncertainties about the reporting requirement. If someone is unsure about what to do, they should report, rather than risk violating the rule.”   In July 2022, the CSB released its first set of data collected from the reporting rule, which includes all the reportable events received by the CSB since the rule went into effect. The CSB’s data is comprised of 162 incidents, of which 25 resulted in fatalities. In addition, 92 of the events resulted in serious injuries, and there were 68 instances of substantial property damage. The CSB guidance document can be found here: https://www.csb.gov/assets/1/17/csb_guidance_on_accidental_release_reporting.pdf?​16818 Full text of the regulation governing the reporting of accidental release can be found at title 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 1604, Reporting of Accidental Releases: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-40/chapter-VI/part-1604#1604.3​ Visit the CSB’s Accidental Release Reporting Rule webpage at: https://www.csb.gov/news/incident-report-rule-form-/ The CSB’s core mission activities include conducting incident investigations; formulating preventive or mitigative recommendations based on investigation findings and advocating for their implementation; issuing reports containing the findings, conclusions, and recommendations arising from incident investigations; and conducting studies on chemical hazards. The agency’s board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.  The Board does not issue citations or fines but makes safety recommendations to companies, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA. Please visit our website, www.csb.gov.For more information, contact Communications Manager Hillary Cohen at [email protected]. Adblock test (Why?)

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Reporting Rule Guidance

[unable to retrieve full-text content]U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board

Washington, D.C. August 2, 2022 - The CSB has released its final report into a 2017 explosion that occurred at the Loy-Lange box company in St. Louis, MO and resulted in the death of four people. The incident occurred when a pressure vessel catastrophically failed fatally injuring one employee at the company and launching the pressure vessel from the building and through the roof of a nearby business, fatally injuring three members of the public. The Chemical Safety Board investigated and found that over the course of many years, an area of the failed pressure vessel had thinned due to a known corrosion mechanism that was poorly controlled. The CSB also found that Loy-Lange repeatedly ignored clear warnings that corrosion was causing major problems within its operations. In fact, prior to its failure, Loy- Lange ran the pressure vessel normally despite knowing that it was leaking. CSB Interim Executive Steve Owens said, “A tragic series of circumstances contributed to the explosion at Loy-Lange: ineffective corrosion management, poor pressure vessel repair, a lack of inspections of the vessel, and the absence of sound safety management systems. Those factors led to a severely corroded pressure vessel that presented a serious safety hazard but was allowed to operate until it ultimately failed, taking the lives of four people.” The CSB determined that the cause of the explosion was deficiencies in Loy-Lange’s operations, policies, and process safety practices that failed to prevent or mitigate chronic corrosion. Furthermore, the CSB determined that contributing to the incident was the City of St. Louis’s missed opportunities to identify and ensure proper inspections, identify an inadequate repair and existing gaps in inspection requirements. As a result of its findings the CSB identified four safety issues and is issuing recommendations to Loy-Lange, the City and Mayor of St. Louis, the inspection company Arise, and the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors. The CSB’s core mission activities include conducting incident investigations; formulating recommendations based on investigation findings and advocating for their implementation; issuing reports containing the findings, conclusions, and recommendations arising from incident investigations; and conducting studies on chemical hazards. The agency's board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The Board does not issue citations or fines but makes safety recommendations to companies, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA. Please visit our website, www.csb.gov. For more information, contact Communications Manager Hillary Cohen at [email protected] Adblock test (Why?)

  Washington, D.C., August 1, 2022 - Today the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is releasing a new safety training application focused on agency findings from the devastating 2005 BP Texas City explosion and fire and how they relate to OSHA’s Process Safety Management (PSM) standard. The PSM standard outlines requirements for the management of hazards associated with highly hazardous chemicals. The training covers all 14 elements of PSM using the 2005 explosion as a model. The desktop training application is available for download HERE. The application recreates the details of the Texas City refinery and takes the viewer through interactive training modules on each element of PSM. At the end of each module there is an opportunity to test your knowledge. CSB Interim Executive Steve Owens said, “This is a new and innovative way for the CSB to present safety information to industry. We are excited to provide this new tool and learn how to make this new application even more useful to industry as people try it out.” The CSB’s investigation into the 2005 explosion and fire explosion at BP Texas City that killed 15 and injured 180 was the most serious refinery accident ever investigated by the CSB. The CSB’s final investigative report into the incident, released in 2007, found organizational and safety deficiencies at all levels of the BP Corporation.  The CSB has previously released several safety videos on the incident, which are available on the CSB’s YouTube channel. The CSB looks forward to receiving feedback on the new PSM safety training material. For feedback or assistance on the application, please email [email protected]. The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating serious chemical accidents. The agency's board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical accidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in regulations, industry standards, and safety management systems. The Board does not issue citations or fines but does make safety recommendations to facilities, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA. Visit our website, www.csb.gov. Adblock test (Why?)

[unable to retrieve full-text content]View the full report

Washington, D.C., July 29, 2022 – Today the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) released key data reported to the agency under its “Accidental Release Reporting Rule.” The release of the data is the latest initiative undertaken by the CSB to improve transparency and provide the public with information about chemical incidents throughout the country. CSB Interim Executive Steve Owens said, “The people of this country have a right to know about chemical incidents that occur in their communities.  The CSB is committed to making this important information available to the public.” The CSB’s data includes 162 incidents which resulted in 25 fatalities, 92 serious injuries and 68 instances of substantial property damage, for which the CSB has received reports since the rule went into effect in March 2020. The CSB's reporting rule requires prompt reporting to the CSB by owners or operators of facilities that experience an accidental release of a regulated substance or extremely hazardous substance that results in a death, serious injury or substantial property damage.  Board Member Sylvia Johnson said, "The CSB wants to help inform communities about chemical incidents occurring in their own backyard." Download the updated CSB's Data (July 2022)  The CSB will provide updated data to the public quarterly.The CSB’s core mission activities include conducting incident investigations; formulating preventive or mitigative recommendations based on investigation findings and advocating for their implementation; issuing reports containing the findings, conclusions, and recommendations arising from incident investigations; and conducting studies on chemical hazards. The agency's board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.  The Board does not issue citations or fines but makes safety recommendations to companies, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA. Please visit our website, www.csb.gov.For more information, contact Communications Manager Hillary Cohen at [email protected]. Adblock test (Why?)

Start Preamble July 29, 2022, 1 p.m. EDT (2 hours). Public Meeting Hosted via Zoom. Access information is provided below: https://www.zoomgov.com/​j/​1618682477?​pwd=​L09Fa1l|R2|1NFVFNXUwT2dwWFV|QT09. Meeting ID: 161 868 2477. Passcode: 569066. One tap mobile: +16692545252,,1618682477# US (San Jose), +16692161590,,1618682477# US (San Jose). Dial by your location: +1 669 254 5252 US (San Jose), +1 669 216 1590 US (San Jose), +1 646 828 7666 US (New York), +1 551 285 1373 US. Meeting ID: 161 868 2477. Find your local number: https://www.zoomgov.com/​u/​admZHYbUH3. Open to the public. The Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) will convene a public meeting on Friday, July 29, 2022, at 1 p.m. EDT. This meeting serves to fulfill its quarterly July public meeting requirement. The Board will review the CSB's progress in meeting its mission and highlight current investigations and safety recommendations. Hillary Cohen, Communications Manager, at [email protected] or (202) 446-8094. Further information about this public meeting can be found on the CSB website at: www.csb.gov. End Preamble Start Supplemental Information Background The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating incidents and hazards that result, or may result, in the catastrophic release of extremely hazardous substances. The agency's Board Members are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical accidents and hazards, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in regulations, industry standards, and safety management systems. Public Participation The meeting is free and open to the public. This meeting will only be available via ZOOM. Close captions (CC) will be provided. There will be an opportunity for public comment at the end of the meeting. To submit public comments for the record please email us at [email protected]. Start Signature Dated: July 7, 2022. Tamara Qureshi, Assistant General Counsel, Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board. End Signature End Supplemental Information Adblock test (Why?)