The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, commonly called the Chemical Safety Board, or simply the “CSB,” is an independent “micro” federal agency that investigates major industrial chemical accidents to determine root causes and issue safety recommendations. CSB began operations in 1998 and is modeled on the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Like the NTSB, has no regulatory authority — it does not issue fines, citations, or rules. But many listen to what they say.
CSB at its core investigates incidents and issues recommendation. Their reports are excellent but what’s even better is their YouTube channel. They have some really interesting and quirky YouTube videos that are definitely worth watching for any process safety individuals. We at SIL Safe are big fans.
The CSB has no direct role in enforcing IEC 61511, but its published reports are heavily used by functional safety practitioners. We recommend that you at least follow and/or subscribe to their LinkedIn page and YouTube channel. At time of writing (May 2026) there’s some doubt if the CSB will continue. It’s just too early to tell how that’s going to play out.
Key Points
- Independent and tiny federal agency that investigates root causes and issues recommendations; it does not levy fines or citations.
- Recurring findings cite gaps in PHA, MOC, mechanical integrity, and PSSR — directly relevant to IEC 61511 lifecycle activities.
- Linkedin, which also pushes out their reports, and YouTube are worth following.
Example
The CSB investigation of the 2005 BP Texas City refinery explosion, which killed 15 workers, traced the event to weak process safety culture, an inadequate pre-startup safety review before restart, and overfilling of a distillation tower with no functioning high-level alarm. The final report and animated video remain a standard case study in process safety management training and bypass-management discussions.
See Also: OSHA, BSEE, PSM, major accident, CalARP, CalEPA
Cited Sources
- YouTube channel.
- 42 U.S.C. § 7412(r)(6) — Clean Air Act enabling statute for the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board
- U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board — About the CSB