What are CSB recommendations?
Recommendations are suggestions for actions to specific parties, issued with the intention of future accident prevention. They are based on the lessons derived from each investigation or study, and can be found at the conclusion of each report.
Who are the recipients of CSB recommendations?
Recommendations are issued to government agencies (federal, state, and local), companies, trade associations, labor unions, and other groups.
Do recipients follow CSB recommendations?
Yes. Although CSB recommendations are not mandatory, they provide realistic and effective solutions for protecting environmental and workplace safety and health. Recipients generally understand that complying with CSB recommendations can help prevent similar incidents.
How does the CSB evaluate responses from recommendations recipients?
Each recommendation is monitored by CSB staff from the time it is issued to closing. CSB staff evaluate recipient responses, and the Board votes to assign status designations to recommendations based on staff evaluation. Recommendations are considered "open" while in progress and "closed" when evidence of appropriate action has been provided. The CSB website is continually updated with each recommendation's status.
What do the status designations for each recommendation mean?
The CSB assigns a status to each recommendation after reviewing the recipient's actions or proposed actions. Below is a brief explanation of the categories with abbreviations in parentheses.
Open - Awaiting Response or Evaluation/Approval of Response (O - ARE/AR) - The recipient has not submitted a substantive response, or the evaluation by CSB staff of a response is pending, or the Board has not yet acted on staff recommendation of status.
Open - Acceptable Response or Alternate Response (O - ARAR) - Response from recipient indicates a planned action that would satisfy the objective of the recommendation when implemented.
Open - Unacceptable Response (O - UR) - Recipient responds by expressing disagreement with the need outlined in the recommendation. The Board believes, however, that there is enough supporting evidence to ask the recipient to reconsider.
Closed - Acceptable Action (C - AA) - The recipient has completed action on the recommendation. The action taken meets the objectives envisioned by the Board.
Closed - Exceeds Recommended Action (C - ERA) - Action on the recommendation meets and surpasses the objectives envisioned by the Board.
Closed - Unacceptable Action/No Response Received (C - UA/NRR) - Recipient responds by expressing disagreement with the need outlined in the recommendation and the Board concludes that further correspondence on, or discussion of, the matter would not change the recipient?s position.
Closed - No Longer Applicable (C - NLA) - Due to subsequent events, the recommendation action no longer applies (e.g., the facility was destroyed or the company went out of business).
Closed - Reconsidered/Superseded (C - R/S) - Recipient rejects the recommendation and also supports the rejection with a rationale with which the Board concurs. This designation may apply when later facts indicate that the concerns expressed in the recommendation were actually addressed prior to the incident, or when a recommendation is superseded by a new, more appropriate recommendation.
Where can I go for more information about CSB recommendations?
For more information about CSB recommendations, please contact Rachael Gunaratnam, Recommendations Specialist, at (202) 261-3614 or Rachael.Gunaratnam@csb.gov.
Media representatives should contact Hillary Cohen, Public Affairs Specialist, at (202) 261-3601 or Hillary Cohen@csb.gov.
The CSB's Recommendations policy can be found in Board Order 22.