Current CSB Board Members: Chairperson Steve Owens & Board Member Sylvia Johnson.
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board is composed of five members who are appointed by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Board members serve fixed terms of five years. The Board Chairman serves as the Chief Executive Officer and is responsible for agency administration, while the full Board is responsible for major budgeting decisions, strategic planning and direction, general agency oversight, and approval of investigation reports and studies.
The Clean Air Act provisions creating the Board state that Board members shall be appointed on the basis of technical qualification, professional standing, and demonstrated knowledge in the fields of accident reconstruction, safety engineering, human factors, toxicology, or air pollution regulations.
All investigation report findings, determinations of root cause, and safety recommendations must be approved by the Board as a whole. Board members may participate in accident investigations, but the day-to-day conduct of investigations and the preparation of draft reports is largely delegated to the Board's professional staff, which includes engineers, safety specialists, and attorneys.
Board members also may serve as principal spokespeople at accident sites and conduct community meetings, hearings, and boards of inquiry during the course of accident investigations.
Following Board approval of accident investigation reports, members often play significant roles in advocating the adoption of recommendations by industry, labor, government agencies, and other organizations. Board members also have participated in conferences, committees, and safety forums and met with leaders of other federal agencies. Board members also have contributed written works to scholarly journals and trade publications and presented papers at professional meetings and other venues.