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U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board

U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board
470 L'Enfant Plaza SW
Suite 604 #23278
Washington, District of Columbia, 20026
United States
(202) 261-7600

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) is an independent, nonregulatory federal agency charged with investigating the root causes of major chemical incidents and hazards that result, or may result, in the catastrophic release of extremely hazardous substances.

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 the EPA.

The CSB's public safety mission is to drive chemical safety excellence through independent investigations to protect communities, workers, and the environment. Its 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 was created under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. In the CSB’S 25-year history, the agency has deployed to nearly 180 chemical incidents and issued more than 1,000 recommendations that have led to numerous safety improvements across a wide variety of industries. 

CSB board members are appointed by the president subject to Senate confirmation.

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U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board in the News

CSB announces FY 26 free quarterly public meeting dates

The Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board is required to hold at least one public meeting each quarter to review its progress in meeting its mission and highlight…

Government shutdown over: what it means for safety agencies

President Trump signed a continuing resolution Nov. 12, allowing safety agencies to resume full operations until Jan. 30. FY26 appropriations must be finalized before the new…

CSB team to investigate Accurate Energetic Systems explosion

ATF has finished clearing undetonated explosives and other hazardous materials from the AES site. The CSB is sending a team this week to investigate the explosion that killed 16.

CSB issues update on fatal Clairton Coke Works explosion

A 70-year-old cast-iron valve leaked gas when U.S. Steel and contract workers attempted to flush it with water, causing an explosion which killed 2 and injured 11 at the…

CSB issues six recommendations to Cuisine Solutions, IIAR

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board recommended improving emergency plans and updating IIAR standards in its final report on the 2024 toxic ammonia refrigerant release at Cuisine…

CSB publishes Cuisine Solutions ammonia release final report

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board found emergency response plans and training to be inadequate in its final report on the 2024 toxic ammonia refrigerant release at Cuisine Solutions.

CSB issues update on Horizon Biofuels explosion investigation

Preliminary evidence indicates a combustible wood dust explosion occurred at the Horizon Biofuels facility in Fremont, Nebraska. The structure remains unsafe to enter, delaying…

CSB releases video animation of 2019 ITC petrochemical fire

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board released an accident reconstruction animation of the 2019 ITC Deer Park petrochemical fire, issuing eight recommendations to ITC, OSHA, EPA, and API.

CSB recommendations to Didion Milling left unanswered

Combustible dust explosions at Didion Milling's Wisconsin facility in 2017 killed five and seriously injured 14. Nine CSB safety recommendations are left unanswered despite…

CSB investigating fatal Horizon Biofuels explosion

Horizon was cited by OSHA in 2012 and the state Dept. of Environment & Energy in 2025 for combustible dust buildup, which may have caused the July 29 explosion that killed…

Four trends in the CSB’s Volume 3 chemical incident reports

Volume 3 of the CSB’s chemical incident reports cover 30 incidents from 2020 to 2025 that caused two deaths, 25 serious injuries, and $1.8 billion in damage across 15 states.