News Releases

Final CSB Report on Synthron Explosion Finds Inadequate Safety Controls for Chemical Reaction Hazards

Jul 31, 2007

Charlotte, NC, July 31, 2007 - In a final report released today on last year's fatal explosion at the Synthron chemical manufacturing facility in Morganton, North Carolina, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) concluded that the company's management of reactive chemical hazards was inadequate and that the facility was unprepared for a chemical process emergency. The CSB also found that ineffective corporate oversight by French parent company Protex International contributed to the likelihood and

CSB Releases New Safety Video, "Reactive Hazards: Dangers of Uncontrolled Chemical Reactions," Includes Synthron Animation, Three Others

Jul 31, 2007

Washington, DC, July 31, 2007 -The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) today released a new safety video concerning the dangers of uncontrolled chemical reactions. The video features computerized animations and descriptions of four major reactive chemistry accidents investigated by the CSB, as well as commentary by two prominent chemical process safety experts.

CSB Investigative Team Assessing Explosions and Fire at Barton Solvents near Wichita, Kansas

Jul 19, 2007

Washington, DC, July 19, 2007 - An investigative team from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has been deployed to the site of Tuesday's explosions and fire at the Barton Solvents facility in Valley Center, Kansas, north of Wichita.

CSB Chairman Merritt Describes the Lessons from Five Years of Board Investigations to Senate Committee, Urges Additional Resources and Clearer Authorities for Federal Safety Efforts

Jul 10, 2007

Washington, DC, July 10, 2007- In testimony today before a Senate subcommittee, U.S. Chemical Safety Board Chairman Carolyn W. Merritt said that federal regulatory oversight of the petrochemical industry should be strengthened, BP's safety culture was flawed, and American communities are unprepared for chemical disasters.

CSB Finds Unspent Aircraft Oxygen Generators Contributed to Rapid Spread of Fire at EQ Facility in Apex, N.C. in 2006, Safety Advisory and Urgent Recommendation Issued

Jun 27, 2007

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) today announced it is issuing a Safety Advisory concerning the dangers of transporting and handling unspent aircraft chemical oxygen generators. The action follows a CSB investigative finding that the devices most likely contributed to the rapid spread of a fire at the EQ Industrial Services (EQ) hazardous waste facility in Apex, NC on the night of October 5, 2006. The fire resulted in the evacuation of thousands of residents of Apex, located about 16 miles s

Text of Urgent Recommendation to Mobile Aerospace Engineering, Inc.

Jun 27, 2007

Text of Urgent Recommendation to Mobile Aerospace Engineering, Inc.

CSB Issues Safety Bulletin on Dangers of a Major Chlorine Release During Railcar Unloading; Agency Calls on U.S. Department of Transportation to Expand Regulatory Coverage to Require Emergency Shutdown Systems

Jun 14, 2007

Washington, DC, June 14, 2007 - The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) today released a safety bulletin warning that some chlorine railcar transfer systems lack effective detection and emergency shutdown devices, leaving the public vulnerable to potential large-scale toxic releases.

CSB Issues Case Study on Fatal Partridge-Raleigh Oilfield Explosion in Mississippi; Recommends OSHA Program to Inspect Oil and Gas Production Facilities

Jun 12, 2007

Jackson, Mississippi, June 12, 2007 - In a case study report released today on a fatal explosion and fire last year at a Smith County oilfield, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) found that unsafe work practices were the cause of the accident and recommended increased Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspections of the region's oil and gas production facilities.

Test of Key Valve in Ghent, West Virginia, Fatal Convenience Store Explosion Points to Likely Source of Propane Release

Jun 07, 2007

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board today announced that initial testing of the propane tank recovered after a West Virginia convenience store explosion reveals that the liquid withdrawal valve on the tank malfunctions and leaks and was the likely source of the large propane release that exploded, killing four people and injuring five others.

In Testimony to House Workforce Protections Subcommittee, CSB Calls on Governments at All Levels to Establish OSHA Programs for Public Employees

May 24, 2007

Washington, DC, May 24, 2007 - The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) today urged "governments at all levels to take steps to protect public employees from preventable chemical accidents, including the establishment of programs incorporating mandatory OSHA standards."

Final CSB Report on Synthron Explosion Finds Inadequate Safety Controls for Chemical Reaction Hazards

CSB Releases New Safety Video, "Reactive Hazards: Dangers of Uncontrolled Chemical Reactions," Includes Synthron Animation, Three Others

CSB Investigative Team Assessing Explosions and Fire at Barton Solvents near Wichita, Kansas

CSB Chairman Merritt Describes the Lessons from Five Years of Board Investigations to Senate Committee, Urges Additional Resources and Clearer Authorities for Federal Safety Efforts

CSB Finds Unspent Aircraft Oxygen Generators Contributed to Rapid Spread of Fire at EQ Facility in Apex, N.C. in 2006, Safety Advisory and Urgent Recommendation Issued

Text of Urgent Recommendation to Mobile Aerospace Engineering, Inc.

CSB Issues Safety Bulletin on Dangers of a Major Chlorine Release During Railcar Unloading; Agency Calls on U.S. Department of Transportation to Expand Regulatory Coverage to Require Emergency Shutdown Systems

CSB Issues Case Study on Fatal Partridge-Raleigh Oilfield Explosion in Mississippi; Recommends OSHA Program to Inspect Oil and Gas Production Facilities

Test of Key Valve in Ghent, West Virginia, Fatal Convenience Store Explosion Points to Likely Source of Propane Release

In Testimony to House Workforce Protections Subcommittee, CSB Calls on Governments at All Levels to Establish OSHA Programs for Public Employees

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