News Releases

New CSB Safety Video, "Half an Hour to Tragedy," Highlights Training Needs for Propane Emergencies

Oct 09, 2008

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) today released a new 23-minute safety video, "Half an Hour to Tragedy," based on the deadly propane gas explosion at the Little General convenience store in Ghent, West Virginia, in January 2007.

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CSB Investigation of the 2007 Little General Store Propane Explosion Emphasizes Need for Immediate Evacuation, Recommends Enhanced Training of Emergency Responders and Propane Technicians, Guidance for 911 Operators

Sep 25, 2008

Beckley, West Virginia, September 25, 2008 - In a draft final report released today, investigators from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) conclude that inadequate propane technician and emergency responder training and unsafe propane tank placement were the primary causes of a fatal accident in January 2007 at the Little General convenience store in Ghent, West Virginia

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CSB Finds Static Spark Set Off Fire and Explosions at Barton Solvents Des Moines Facility, Investigation Finds Equipment Not Intended for Flammable Service or Properly Bonded and Grounded

Sep 18, 2008

A fire and series of explosions at the Barton Solvents Des Moines, Iowa, chemical distribution facility on October 29, 2007, was caused by a static electrical spark resulting from inadequate electrical bonding and grounding during the filling of a portable steel tank, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) determined in a final report today.

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CSB to Hold Public Meeting in Beckley, West Virginia, September 25; Board will Consider Final Investigation Report on Fatal Propane Explosion at Little General Convenience Store

Sep 10, 2008

Washington, DC, September 10, 2008 - The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) announced that it will convene a public meeting on Thursday September 25, 2008, in Beckley, West Virginia, to review the final CSB investigation report on the causes of the January 2007 propane explosion at the Little General Store in Ghent.

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CSB Deploys to Fatal Accident at Bayer CropScience in West Virginia

Aug 28, 2008

A five-member investigation team from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is deploying to the scene of a fatal explosion and fire at the Bayer CropScience plant located in Kanawha County, West Virginia.

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Board to Investigate Tank Explosion at Wisconsin Cardboard Manufacturer that Killed Three Workers

Aug 15, 2008

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) announced today that it will conduct a full investigation of the storage tank explosion that killed three workers and injured a fourth at the Packaging Corporation of America corrugated cardboard mill in Tomahawk, Wisconsin, on July 29.

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CSB Chairman John Bresland Calls on OSHA to Adopt CSB Recommendation on Comprehensive Combustible Dust Standard, Says Imperial Sugar Explosion Shows "Urgency for Action Is Greater than Ever"

Jul 29, 2008

At a Senate hearing today, John Bresland, chairman and CEO of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB), called on OSHA to act on a November 2006 CSB recommendation to adopt a comprehensive standard regulating combustible dust in the workplace.

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CSB Releases New Safety Video on Fatal 2006 Oilfield Explosion in Mississippi, Emphasizes Safe Practices for Hot Work

Jul 17, 2008

Washington, DC, July 17, 2008 - The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) today released a new safety video detailing an explosion that led to the deaths of three contractors at the Partridge-Raleigh oilfield in rural Raleigh, Mississippi, in June 2006.

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CSB Determines Massive Propane Fire at Valero Refinery in Sunray, Texas, Resulted from Water Freezing and Cracking Idle Section of Process Piping; New Safety Video Released

Jul 09, 2008

A massive fire that injured four workers and caused the total shutdown and evacuation of the Valero McKee Refinery in Sunray, Texas, in February 2007 likely occurred after water leaked through a valve, froze, and cracked an out-of-service section of piping, causing a release of high-pressure liquid propane, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) said in a final investigation report issued today.

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CSB to Investigate Fatal Explosion and Fire at Universal Form Clamp Co. in Bellwood, Illinois

Jun 26, 2008

Chicago, Illinois, June 28, 2006 - The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) today announced it will pursue an investigation of the fatal explosion and fire at Universal Form Clamp Company in Bellwood, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. Shortly after 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 14, 2006, an explosion and fire occurred in a mixing room at the facility, causing one fatality and five injuries.

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