Washington, DC, March 6, 2006 - The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) today presented a proposal for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to incorporate research on chemical process safety and chemical release prevention in their new National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA).

CSB Chairman and CEO Carolyn Merritt said, "NORA has been a defining framework for the nation's occupational safety and health research goals in the past decade, and the CSB is pleased to collaborate with NIOSH in their ongoing efforts to revamp this agenda."

CSB Director of Recommendations, Dr. Manuel Gomez, will present the CSB's comments on chemical process safety research to NIOSH at the NORA town hall meeting in Piqua, Ohio, today.

The Board has outlined six broad examples of potential NORA research topics, and the agency plans to coordinate with NIOSH to refine the topics. They include:

1. Evaluating and improving the effectiveness of chemical emergency preparedness programs;

2. Improving information about catastrophic chemical accident potential in material safety data sheets;

3. Safety implications of a large contractor workforce in the chemical industry;

4. Reliable ways to evaluate "safety culture";

5. Methods to reach small and medium businesses with preventive lessons; and,

6. Improving the data available to describe and measure accidental chemical releases.

"The CSB is providing input on the NORA plan to emphasize the critical need for additional research on chemical process safety. The agency has previously stressed the need for increased attention to safety culture. In August 2005, the Board issued an urgent safety recommendation to BP's Board of Directors following a March 2005 BP refinery incident in Texas City, Texas, that killed 15 workers. The urgent recommendation directs BP to study its corporate safety culture at its five North American refineries, one of which is in Toledo, Ohio. As evidenced by the 2003 nitric oxide explosion in nearby Miami Township, Ohio, that injured one worker and damaged several homes in a neighboring subdivision, there are still many lessons to be learned in areas such as emergency preparedness and response. NIOSH is uniquely qualified to stimulate and fund valuable research on these sorts of accidents and their prevention," Dr. Gomez said.

The CSB maintains contact with NIOSH to discuss many chemical incidents, and the two agencies are currently developing a memorandum of understanding that would formalize their relations.

The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. The Board does not issue citations or fines. The agency's board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigations identify the causes of chemical accidents, including physical factors such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in safety management systems, regulations, and industry standards. The investigations result in recommendations to prevent similar accidents; these recommendations are directed to regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA, plants, corporations, industry and labor organizations, standards development bodies, and other institutions. Please visit our website at CSB.gov.

For more information, contact:

Public Affairs Specialist Kara Wenzel 202-261-7642, cell 202-577-8448 .