For more information, go to: Across Industries and Continents, Demand for CSB Safety Videos is Global

Washington, DC, July 18, 2008 - The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) today released an analysis presenting comments from individuals who have requested and used the CSB's computer-animated safety videos, ranging from industry safety managers to emergency responders to union officials.

The CSB interviewed people around the country and overseas who use the agency's 14 safety videos, which present the findings and recommendations from CSB accident investigations. The full text of the document, entitled "Across Industries and Continents, Demand for CSB Safety Videos is Global," is available in the Video Room of the Board's website, safetyvideos.gov.

Included are comments from individuals like Carl Steiner of ConocoPhillips and the United Steelworkers, who said: "These are the most informative and pertinent videos our shop has seen. The CSB videos use high quality graphics simulations and excellent commentary that really help management, operators, and maintenance personnel think about how their specific decisions and work activities can cause or prevent these tragedies."

Fire Chief Michael McNeil of the U.S. Forest Service noted the value of the safety videos to the emergency response community, commenting, "Everybody's got to learn from everybody else. We've all got to watch each other's backs, especially on the public safety side of things ..."

"Most people are not going to read an 800-page report," according to David E. Cummings, a process safety official with DuPont, which uses CSB safety videos throughout the corporation, but the videos "really get people's attention." Cummings notes that part of the value of the videos is to communicate about process hazards to new engineers and other employees, most of whom have never experienced a major accident.

All CSB safety videos are available for viewing and downloading in the Video Room of the CSB's website, safetyvideos.gov, as well as on the CSB channel on YouTube (www.youtube.com/USCSB). DVDs of all videos are available free of charge through the online request form at CSB.gov.

CSB safety videos have been viewed more than one million times over the Internet since the launch of the program in December 2005. More than 75,000 DVDs have been distributed to industry and labor groups, government agencies, safety trainers, educators, emergency responders, and individual requesters throughout the world.

The most recent CSB safety video, the nine-minute-long "Death in the Oilfield," about a fatal 2006 explosion at a Mississippi oil production facility, was released yesterday. It was the sixth CSB safety video issued since January 2008.

"The intent of the CSB's safety video program is to provide concise, accurate, and compelling information on the findings and recommendations from CSB investigations," said CSB Chairman John Bresland. "Based on the thousands of positive comments we have received - and the huge number of people in industry using these videos - we believe this to be a worthwhile and effective means of promoting awareness of serious chemical hazards. The feedback from a whole range of important stakeholders confirms that the program is working and is, we hope, helping to prevent future accidents."

The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. The agency's board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical accidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in regulations, industry standards, and safety management systems.

The Board does not issue citations or fines but does make safety recommendations to plants, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA. Visit our website, www.csb.gov.

For more information, contact Director of Public Affairs Dr. Daniel Horowitz, (202) 261-7613 / (202) 441-6074 cell or Hillary Cohen at (202) 261-3601 / (202) 446-8094 cell.