Washington — Reporting under the Chemical Safety Board’s accidental release reporting rule is “at an all-time high,” an agency official says.
Dan Tillema, senior chemical incident investigator at CSB, shared data during a Dec. 11 public business meeting. He said the agency received 46 accidental release reports over a three-month period ending in November, marking the first time since the rule went into effect that the three-month moving average surpassed 14 events.
The rule requires chemical facility owners or operators to report to CSB within eight hours certain information regarding incidental releases of chemicals resulting in death, serious injury or substantial property damage.
Tillema said the agency has received 586 accidental release reports since the rule went into effect on March 23, 2020. Among those, 321 (54.8%) were tied to serious injuries, while 90 (15.4%) involved fatalities.
Also highlighted: During fiscal year 2025, CSB produced 25 safety recommendations while closing 51 others. It’s a result of organizations taking appropriate actions, the agency says.
“We’re always happy when we close more recommendations than we issue because our numbers get better,” agency Director of Recommendations Chuck Barbee said. “But at the end of the day, these are all demonstrations of opportunities to close some of those safety gaps we’ve identified.”
Agency Chair Steve Owens said CSB anticipates publishing a fourth volume of expanded incident summaries in the “not-too-distant future.” In January, CSB unveiled an initial compilation of expanded information for 26 serious chemical releases. The reports provide information that previously wasn’t available to the public, including probable causes. The agency released a second volume in March and a third in July. The resources cover 55 combined incidents.
“Transparency remains at the heart of the CSB’s work,” board member Sylvia Johnson said during the meeting. “Through our accidental release reporting rule, we continue to collect vital data about chemical incidents across the country.
“This information is public because lessons learned should never stop at the facility’s gate. Safety is never abstract; it’s personal. It’s about people who work hard, raise families and trust that they will come home safe each day. Behind every statistic is a name, a family and a community. When safety fails, people – not numbers – pay the price.”
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Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication