News Releases

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CSB to Release Report and Findings on January 2003 Explosion and Fire at West Pharmaceutical Facility in Kinston, North Carolina, on Sept. 23

Sep 09, 2004

Washington, DC, September 9, 2004 - The U.S. Chemical Safety Hazard and Investigation Board (CSB) has announced a public meeting to be held on Thursday, September 23, 2004, at 7 p.m. in the Kinston High School Performing Arts Center in Kinston, NC. In this meeting, CSB investigators will present their findings and report on the explosion and fire that occurred at the West Pharmaceutical Services facility in Kinston on January 29, 2003. The accident killed six workers, injured dozens of others, and destroyed large sections of the plant.

CSB Investigating Ethylene Oxide Release and Explosion at Sterigenics Facility in Ontario, California

Aug 30, 2004

Washington, DC, August 30, 2004 - The U.S. Chemical Safety Hazard and Investigation Board (CSB) announced today that it is investigating a recent ethylene oxide explosion at the Sterigenics International Inc. sterilization facility in Ontario, California.

CSB Issues Case Study on September 2003 Explosion at Isotec Facility in Miami Township, OH

Aug 24, 2004

Miami Township, OH, Aug. 24, 2004 - The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) today issued a Case Study examining the causes of a Sept. 21, 2003 nitric oxide leak and explosion which occurred at a high-technology biochemical products plant in Miami Township, Ohio, near Dayton.

Status Report: CSB Investigation into Giant Industries Explosion and Fire Continues

Aug 03, 2004

Washington, DC, August 3, 2004 - The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) investigation into the Giant Industries explosion and fire continues, focusing on several areas. The April 8 accident at the company's Ciniza refinery east of Gallup, New Mexico, seriously injured four workers when highly flammable gasoline components were released and ignited.

CSB Releases Safety Bulletin Emphasizing Dangers of Working on Piping and Equipment That May Contain Flammable or Chemically Reactive Materials

Jul 15, 2004

Bulletin Follows Investigation into January 2004 Huntsman Petrochemical Explosion in Port Neches, Texas Washington, DC, July 15, 2004 - The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) today released a Safety Bulletin calling on chemical plant and refinery operators to exercise appropriate caution when performing work on piping and equipment that could contain hazardous materials.

CSB Releases Safety Bulletin Warning of Dangers of Sodium Hydrosulfide (NaHS) in the Workplace; Outlines Safe Practices to Prevent Harm

Jul 15, 2004

Washington, DC, July 15, 2004 - The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) today released a Safety Bulletin that warns of the dangers of sodium hydrosulfide and recommends safe practices to prevent accidents when handling the chemical. CSB investigators uncovered 45 accidents associated with sodium hydrosulfide that have caused 32 deaths and 176 injuries since 1971. They noted, however, that accident data are incomplete and there may have been additional deaths and injuries attributable to the chemical. The Safety Bulletin is an outgrowth of the Board's investigation of a January 2002 accident involving sodium hydrosulfide that caused two deaths and eight injuries at an Alabama paper mill.

CSB Commends Center for Chemical Process Safety Response to Reactive Hazards Study Recommendations, Says CCPS "Exceeds Recommended Action"

Jun 30, 2004

Orlando, Florida, June 30, 2004 - The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) has formally commended the Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS), an arm of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), for exceeding the CSB's recommended action contained in the CSB report on reactive hazards in 2002.

In Preliminary Findings, CSB Investigators Say DPC Enterprises Chlorine Leak on November 17, 2003, Resulted from Improper Safety Practices, Failure to Follow Written Procedures

Jun 09, 2004

In Preliminary Findings, CSB Investigators Say DPC Enterprises Chlorine Leak on November 17, 2003, Resulted from Improper Safety Practices, Failure to Follow Written Procedures For more information, go to: DPC Enterprises Investigation Information Page At CSB Community Meeting, Board Members to Hear Testimony from Phoenix/Glendale Emergency Response Agencies, Company, and Residents Glendale, Arizona, June 9, 2004 - In preliminary findings set to be delivered in a community meeting here tonight, investigators from the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) say that last November's chlorine release at the DPC Enterprises Glendale facility resulted from the failure to shut off a chlorine transfer line when safety alarms sounded. The alarms indicated the near-depletion of an essential chemical in a safety device called a scrubber, but the CSB found it was common practice to allow chlorine to flow even after the alarms sounded, in violation of the company's own written procedures.

CSB To Hold June 9 Community Meeting in Glendale, Arizona, to Present Preliminary Findings in DPC Chlorine Leak Investigation and Hear from Responders and Residents

May 25, 2004

Washington, DC, May 25, 2004 - The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board will be holding a community meeting in Glendale, Arizona, at 6 p.m. on June 9, 2004, concerning the chlorine release accident that occurred at the DPC Enterprises repackaging facility on November 17, 2003. Fourteen people, including ten police officers, required treatment for chlorine exposure near the facility at 4909 W. Pasadena in Glendale.

CSB Continues Investigation of Formosa Plastics Explosion, Examines Functioning of Plant Fire Safety System for Vinyl Chloride

Apr 30, 2004

Washington, DC, April 30, 2004 - Investigators from the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) are continuing their field work on the April 23 accident at the Formosa Plastics plant in Illiopolis, Illinois, east of Springfield, and plan to enter the area where the explosion originated as soon as structural safety issues are resolved next week.

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