For more information, go to: CSB Video Room

Washington, DC, April 24, 2007 -The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) announced today that CSB Safety Videos are now available on YouTube and as iTunes podcasts. The CSB also announced that the videos, agency news releases and other information are now available through RSS.

Viewers may go directly to YouTube.com and search for CSB videos or they can access the YouTube videos in the Video Room of the CSB website, csb.gov. To put the videos on an iPod, viewers may simply click on the iTunes link in the CSB Video Room, download the video they wish to view as a podcast into iTunes, and from there copy it onto an iPod.

Currently, the CSB is offering 13 safety videos on www.csb.gov. The BP Texas City refinery accident computer simulation is available in Spanish, German, French, and Korean as well as English. These videos are aimed at improving safety and hazard awareness in the processing industries. There is a video request form on the site for placing requests for these safety videos, free of charge.

In addition to the new distribution for CSB videos, the CSB has added RSS (Real Simple Syndication) capabilities to the website, enabling viewers to set up automatic feeds of CSB news releases and other information through their individualized RSS "readers."

To access this service, users must first set up an RSS reader from any common internet search engine. For example, a reader may establish a user account with Google Reader (www.google.com/reader). The user would then go to CSB.gov, click on the RSS icon, copy the URL, and paste it back onto the Google Reader under "add subscription." Each time the viewer goes to the website Google.com/reader, the latest CSB news releases will appear. CSB RSS feeds also include videos.

CSB Chairman Carolyn W. Merritt said, "The CSB is committed to using the latest technologies for distributing critical safety information. We believe that making CSB Safety Videos available as Podcasts and on YouTube will make the videos even more accessible and convenient to watch for key stakeholders throughout the world." 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: Public Affairs Specialist Kate Baumann 202-261-7612 or cell 202-725-2204