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{{Organization
|OrganizationName=Chemical Safety Board
|OrganizationType=Independent Agencies
|Mission=To drive chemical safety excellence through independent investigations to protect communities, workers, and the environment. The CSB investigates industrial chemical accidents to determine root causes and recommend preventive measures.
|ParentOrganization=United States Government (Independent)
|CreationLegislation=Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990
|Employees=40
|Budget=$12 million (approximate, based on historical funding)
|OrganizationExecutive=Chairperson
|Services=Accident investigation; safety recommendations; educational videos;
|HeadquartersLocation=38.90296, -77.04928
|HeadquartersAddress=2175 K St NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20037
|Website=https://www.csb.gov
}}
{{Short description|Independent U.S. federal agency}}
{{redirect|USCSB|information security committee|Committee on National Security Systems}}

{{Infobox government agency
| agency_name     = Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board
| logo            = US-ChemicalSafetyBoard-Logo.svg
| logo_width      = 180px
| logo_caption    = Logo
| seal            = US-ChemicalSafetyBoard-Seal.svg
| seal_width      = 140px
| seal_caption    = Seal
| jurisdiction    = [[United States federal government]]
| headquarters    = 1751 Pennsylvania Ave N.W., [[Washington, D.C.]]
| formed          = January 1998
| employees       = 
| budget          = 
| chief1_name     = [[Steve Owens (Arizona politician)|Steve Owens]]
| chief1_position = Chairman
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| parent_department = 
| website         = {{Official URL}}
| embed           =
}}
The '''U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board''' ('''USCSB'''), generally referred to<ref>{{cite web|title=Media Resources|url=http://www.csb.gov/media-room/media-resources/|publisher=U.S. Chemical Safety Board|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170711182329/http://www.csb.gov/media-room/media-resources/|archivedate=Jul 11, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> as the '''Chemical Safety Board''' ('''CSB'''), is an [[Independent agencies of the United States government|independent U.S. federal agency]] charged with investigating industrial [[chemical accident]]s. Headquartered in [[Washington, D.C.]], the agency's board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the [[United States Senate]].  The CSB conducts root cause investigations of chemical accidents at fixed industrial facilities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.csb.gov/about-the-csb/mission/|title=Mission - About the CSB|website=www.csb.gov}}</ref>

== History ==
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board is authorized by the [[Clean Air Act (United States)|Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990]] and became operational in January 1998. The Senate legislative history states: "The principal role of the new chemical safety board is to investigate accidents to determine the conditions and circumstances which led up to the event and to identify the cause or causes so that similar events might be prevented." Congress gave the CSB a unique statutory mission and provided in law that no other agency or executive branch official may direct the activities of the board. Following the successful model of the [[National Transportation Safety Board]] and the [[United States Department of Transportation|Department of Transportation]], Congress directed that the CSB's investigative function be completely independent of the rulemaking, inspection, and enforcement authorities of the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency]] and [[Occupational Safety and Health Administration]]. Congress recognized that board investigations would identify chemical hazards that were not addressed by those agencies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.csb.gov/about-the-csb/history/|title=History - About the CSB|website=www.csb.gov}}</ref> Also similarly to the NTSB, the CSB performs "investigations [that] identify the root causes of chemical incidents and share these findings broadly across industries to prevent future incidents."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.csb.gov/assets/1/6/csb_roles_and_responsibilities.pdf |title=Agency Roles and Responsibilities |author=U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board |date=n.d. |website=U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board |page=1 |access-date=3 March 2022 |quote=The CSB is a unique agency, modeled on the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board. The CSB investigations identify the root causes of chemical incidents and share these findings broadly across industries to prevent future incidents.}}</ref>

Following criticism from lawmakers and allegations of mismanagement, the former chairman of the CSB, [[Rafael Moure-Eraso]], resigned in March 2015.<ref>{{cite web |date=Mar 4, 2015 |title=Oversight Committee Members Call on Chemical Safety Board Chairman to Resign |url=http://oversight.house.gov/release/oversight-committee-members-call-chemical-safety-board-chairman-resign/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170819205935/http://oversight.house.gov/release/oversight-committee-members-call-chemical-safety-board-chairman-resign/ |archive-date=Aug 19, 2017 |website=[[United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Trager |first=Rebecca |date=Mar 10, 2015 |title=US chemical safety board in turmoil |url=https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/us-chemical-safety-board-in-turmoil/8350.article |website=Chemistry World}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Gunther |first=Matthew |date=Mar 31, 2015 |title=US Chemical Safety Board chairman resigns |url=https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/us-chemical-safety-board-chairman-resigns/8413.article |website=Chemistry World}}</ref> He was replaced by [[Vanessa Allen Sutherland]] in August 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-08-05 |title=PN278 - Nomination of Vanessa Lorraine Allen Sutherland for Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, 114th Congress (2015-2016) |url=https://www.congress.gov/nomination/114th-congress/278 |access-date=2020-03-21 |website=www.congress.gov}}</ref> Sutherland resigned with two years left in her five-year term after the Trump administration proposed shutting down the CSB as part of the [[2019 United States federal budget]] which ultimately would not occur.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 23, 2018 |title=Chemical Safety Board Chair Vanessa Sutherland announces resignation |url=https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/17058-chemical-safety-board-chair-vanessa-sutherland-announces-resignation |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200305173122/https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/17058-chemical-safety-board-chair-vanessa-sutherland-announces-resignation |archive-date=2020-03-05 |access-date=2020-03-06 |website=Safety+Health |publisher=National Safety Council |language=en}}</ref>

The board consists of five members who are appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the Senate. The terms of office are five years. The president designates one of the members as chairperson, again with the advice and consent of the Senate. The chairperson is the chief executive officer of the board, and exercises the executive and administrative functions of the board.<ref>{{USCode|42|7412#r_6}}</ref>

===Current members===
The current board members as of September 24, 2024:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.csb.gov/about-the-csb/board-members/ |title=Board Members |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=<!--Not stated--> |website=CSB.gov |publisher=U.S. Chemical Safety Board |access-date=September 24, 2024}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
! Position
! Name
! Party
! Took office
! Term expires
|-
! Chair
| {{sortname|Steve|Owens|dab=Arizona politician}}
| {{party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic
| {{dts|2022|02|03}} (as member)<br>{{dts|2023|01|05}} (as chair)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.csb.gov/members/board-member-steve-owens-/ |title=Chairperson Steve Owens |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=<!--Not stated--> |website=CSB.gov |publisher=U.S. Chemical Safety Board |access-date=September 24, 2024}}</ref>
| {{dts|2027|02|03}}
|-
! Member
| {{sortname|Sylvia E.|Johnson}}
| {{party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic
| {{dts|2022|02|03}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.csb.gov/members/board-member-sylvia-e-johnson-phd/ |title=Board Member Sylvia E. Johnson, Ph.D. |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=<!--Not stated--> |website=CSB.gov |publisher=U.S. Chemical Safety Board |access-date=September 24, 2024}}</ref>
| {{dts|2027|02|03}}
|-
! Member
| {{sortname|Catherine|Sandoval}}
| {{party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic
| {{dts|2023|02|03}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.csb.gov/members/board-member-catherine-sandoval-/ |title=Board Member Catherine Sandoval |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=<!--Not stated--> |website=CSB.gov |publisher=U.S. Chemical Safety Board |access-date=September 24, 2024}}</ref>
| {{dts|2028|02|03}}
|-
! Member
| ''Vacant''
|
|
|
|-
! Member
| ''Vacant''
|
|
|
|}

== Investigations ==

The USCSB has investigated many of the most devastating industrial chemical accidents in the U.S. since its inception in 1998. It is known for its highly detailed and technically oriented post mortem analyses of individual incidents, as well as its transparent public relations practices. The latter include at length reconstructions of an incident, alongside root cause analysis and subsequent recommendations the board has made; unusually for a governmental agency, they are often attended by a video form safety report, with careful narration and high quality computer graphics. Their videos are narrated by Sheldon Smith.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jh2HWT8gPeY|title=Silent Killer: Hydrogen Sulfide Release in Odessa, Texas|date=29 July 2021|publisher=USCSB|access-date=8 December 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goSEyGNfiPM|title=Updated BP Texas City Animation on the 15th Anniversary of the Explosion|date=23 March 2020|publisher=USCSB|access-date=8 December 2021}}</ref> The agency publishes its videos on a public [[YouTube]] channel, which {{as of|2024|8|lc=y|url=https://www.youtube.com/user/USCSB/about}} has over 341,000 subscribers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=USCSB |url=https://www.youtube.com/@USCSB |access-date=July 12, 2024 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> The CSB's videos have been lauded for their quality, with experts encouraging their use in teaching [[process safety]] fundamentals.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sanders |first=Roy E. |title=Chemical Process Safety: Learning from Case Histories |publisher=[[Butterworth-Heinemann]] |year=2015 |isbn=978-0-12-801425-7 |edition=4th |location=Kidlington, England and Waltham, Mass. |pages=420–421}}</ref>

In the mid to late 2000s, many of the USCSB's videos centered on explosive dust hazards, and OSHA's response to USCSB's recommendations on the issue. Of the 8 investigations ({{as of|2021|12|lc=y}}) concerning explosions and fires caused by combustible dust conducted by the USCSB, 5 of them had their final report released from 2004 to 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.csb.gov/investigations/completed-investigations/?F_AccidentTypeId=1267&pg=1|title=Completed Investigations|date=n.d.|publisher=Chemical Safety Board|access-date=8 December 2021}}</ref>

USCSB's notable investigations include:

* [[Texas City refinery explosion|Texas City refinery explosion, March 2005]]
* [[Xcel Company Fire|Xcel Energy Cabin Creek Hydroelectric Plant Fire, October 2007]]
* [[2008 Georgia sugar refinery explosion|Port Wentworth Imperial Sugar plant explosion, February 2008]]
* [[Deepwater Horizon explosion|Deepwater Horizon explosion, 2010]]
* [[Chevron Richmond Refinery#2012 fire|Chevron Refinery fire, August 6, 2012]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.csb.gov/chevron-richmond-refinery-fire/|title=Chevron Richmond Refinery Fire |website=www.csb.gov}}</ref>
* [[West Fertilizer Company explosion|West, TX, Fertilizer Fire and Explosion, April 17, 2013]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.csb.gov/west-fertilizer-explosion-and-fire-/|title=West Fertilizer Explosion and Fire |website=www.csb.gov}}</ref>
* [[2018 Husky Energy Refinery explosion|Husky Superior Refinery Explosion and Fire, April 26, 2018]]<ref>{{Cite journal |date=December 23, 2022 |title=FCC Unit Explosion and Asphalt Fire at Husky Superior Refinery - No. 2018-02-I-WI |url=https://www.csb.gov/assets/1/6/husky_superior_refinery_report_2022-12-23_(1).pdf |journal=U.S. Chemical Safety Board |pages=195}}</ref>
* [[2019 Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery explosion|Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery explosion, June 21, 2019]]

== See also ==
* [[Occupational Safety and Health Administration]]
* [[United States Environmental Protection Agency]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website}}
* {{youTube|user=USCSB}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Independent agencies of the United States government]]
[[Category:1998 establishments in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Process safety]]
[[Category:Chemical safety]]
[[Category:United States Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board]]
[[Category:Occupational safety and health organizations]]