Tag: U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board

OSHA Reaches Settlement with Adidas America

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced June 4 that it has reached a settlement with Adidas America Inc., requiring the company to pay $235,000 in fines and implement enhanced safety measures at multiple facilities. OSHA conducted a 2024 follow-up inspection at an Adidas warehouse in upstate New York. The agency initially cited the […]

Labor Department Launches Multiagency ‘Opinion Letters’

On June 2, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced the launch of an “opinion letter” program across five agencies, providing workers, employers, and others with compliance assistance. The program includes letters of interpretation from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) explaining the agency’s regulatory requirements. The DOL’s Employee Benefits Security Administration, Mine Safety and […]

OSHA Honors 50th Anniversary of Its Consultation Program

On May 28, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) celebrated the 50th anniversary of its nonenforcement program On-Site Consultation. Launched in 1975, the program has expanded to serve all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and several U.S. territories. According to OSHA, the program helps employers identify workplace hazards, improve safety practices, and build […]

CSB Issues Final Report on Chemical Incidents at Honeywell Facility

On May 27, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released a final report on three chemical incidents involving hydrogen fluoride (HF) at the Honeywell Performance Materials and Technologies facility in Geismar, Louisiana. The incidents occurred over a period of less than three years—from October 2021 to June 2024—and revealed systemic safety failures […]

CSB Looks Back at 20 Years Since Texas City Refinery Explosion

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released a report on March 24, marking the 20th anniversary of fatal explosions and fires at the BP America Texas City Refinery in Texas City, Texas. The March 23, 2005, explosions and fires at the BP America refinery led to 15 deaths, 180 injuries, and significant […]

CSB Issues Second Update on Refinery Hydrogen Sulfide Release

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released a second update on its investigation into a fatal hydrogen sulfide release last year at the PEMEX Deer Park Refinery in Deer Park, Texas. The board’s investigation is focused on safe work factors, maintenance policies and procedures, and emergency preparedness at the facility. When the […]

CSB Finds Six Safety Issues in Marathon Martinez Fire

A combination of technical failures and unsafe operational practices at the Marathon Martinez Renewables facility in Martinez, California, led to a November 19, 2023, fire, according to a final report issued March 13 by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB). During the facility’s initial start-up of a renewable diesel hydroprocessing unit, a […]

CSB Releases Update on Louisville Explosion Investigation

On February 27, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released an update on its investigation into a fatal November 12, 2024, explosion at the Givaudan Sense Colour facility in Louisville, Kentucky. The explosion killed two employees and seriously injured three others, and it caused significant property damage to the facility and nearby […]

Florida Employer Facing OSHA Penalty in Worker’s Fatality

Southeast Services of the Treasure Coast Inc., a Vero Beach, Florida, drainpipe cleaning and maintenance company, is facing a $16,131 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fine following a 24-year-old worker’s death, the agency announced January 16. According to OSHA, the employer could have prevented an explosion at a Port Saint Lucie worksite in June […]

CSB Issues Update on September Fire, Toxic Plume in Georgia

On November 22, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) released an update on its investigation into a September 29 chemical reaction and toxic gas release at the Bio-Lab, Inc., facility in Conyers, Georgia. The incident led to a massive fire and plume of toxic smoke that threatened the surrounding community and the […]