Preventing Catastrophic Chemical Accidents--The Role and Impact of the US Chemical Safety Board

The effective prevention of chemical accidents and releases are of increasing interest to industry, workers, community residents and policymakers. The US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB/Chemical Safety Board) was created by the Clean Air Act of 1992 to improve chemical safety by investigating chemical incidents and process safety hazards and issuing reports with recommendations for changes in public and private policy. Funded in 1998, the CSB is modeled after the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), of airline and other transportation accident reputation. The CSB has issued more than 550 recommendations since it began operations in earnest in 1998. An increasing number are receiving national attention, as well as becoming the subject of important actions by federal and state agencies, as well as industry and other sectors. While the CSB's recommendations have no regulatory or enforcement authority, over the last decade they have had an impact that is arguably disproportionate to its small size and modest resources. The presentation will analyze the major CSB recommendations with an impact on prevention and public policy for chemical disasters, describe some connections between the work of the CSB and more “traditional” areas of occupational health and safety, examine the reasons for the CSB's apparent success, and postulate possible future directions for the agency's work.