CSB Publishes Volume 4 of Their Incident Reports Series – 2-18-26

Yesterday the Chemical Safety Board (CSB) announced the publication of the fourth volume of their Incident Reports Series. This volume provides 13 investigation summaries of incidents reported since 2020. The investigations were not conducted by the CSB, but rather by the affected companies. Volume 1 (26 incidents) was published in January, 2025, Volume 2 (25 incidents) in March 2025, and Volume 3 (30 incidents) in July 2025.

While these investigation reports are not up to the technical standards of the CSB, they still provide valuable insights into how accidental releases occur in the chemical industry. Readers are going to have to deduce and apply the lessons learned as there are no recommendations from the Board at the end of these reports.

That these companies are willing to publicly share their accident investigation results with the public through the auspices of the CSB positively reflect on the chemical safety investigations and outreach efforts of the Board. The idea that unrelated entities can learn from the mistakes of others in the realm of chemical safety is the largest legacy of this underfunded agency. It is heartening to see that Congress remains willing and able to continue to fund the CSB even in the face of the anti-government agenda of the current administration.

Administrative Note: Volume 4 is not yet listed on the CSB’s Incident Reporting Rule Submission Information and Data page where the other three volumes are reported. I expect that this administrative oversight will be corrected in the near future.