An ongoing investigation by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) of the November 15, 2014, toxic chemical leak that killed four workers at the E. I. du Pont de Nemours insecticide plant in La Porte, Texas, has uncovered flawed safety procedures, design problems and inadequate planning.

I am honored to begin my five year term as Chemical Safety Board Chairperson and Member. I look forward to a highly productive and collaborative experience with my fellow board members and the CSB's staff.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is recommending changes to the widely-used Emergency Response Guidebook published by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for emergency responders to use when confronting chemical fires, explosions and releases of hazardous materials.

Approximately 84,000 pounds of sulfuric acid spilled from the Tesoro Refinery earlier this year because of insufficient tightening between a tube and a compression joint at a sulfuric acid sampling station, according to the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB), which investigated the incident.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is reminding safety professionals about hot work safety resources that are available free of charge through the agency’s website at www.csb.gov. The Board previously released safety videos, a safety bulletin, and accident investigations all warning of the hazards of welding, cutting, grinding, and other hot work activities in and around storage tanks containing flammable materials.

Statement from Chairperson Rafael Moure-Eraso on the deadly consequences of combustible metal dust: Friday’s reported metal dust explosion in Jiangsu, China, is another reminder of the tragic and deadly consequences of combustible dust accidents, a hazard with which the US Chemical Safety Board(CSB) is all too familiar.