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Current CSB Board Members: , Board Member Kristen Kulinowski Ph.D., Board Member Manuel "Manny" Ehrlich, Chairperson Vanessa Allen Sutherland and Board Member Rick Engler
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board is composed of five members who are appointed by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Board members serve fixed terms of five years. The Board Chairman serves as the Chief Executive Officer and is responsible for agency administration, while the full Board is responsible for major budgeting decisions, strategic planning and direction, general agency oversight, and approval of investigation reports and studies.
The Clean Air Act provisions creating the Board require that Board members be appointed on the basis of technical qualification, professional standing, and demonstrated knowledge in the fields of accident reconstruction, safety engineering, human factors, toxicology, or air pollution regulations. Board members may participate in accident investigations. All investigation report findings, determinations of root cause, and safety recommendations must be approved by the Board as a whole.
Board members serve as principal spokespeople at accident sites and conduct community meetings, hearings, and boards of inquiry during the course of accident investigations. The day-to-day conduct of investigations and the preparation of draft reports is largely delegated to the Board's professional staff, which includes engineers, safety specialists, and attorneys.
Following Board approval of accident investigation reports, members play significant roles in advocating the adoption of recommendations by industry, labor, government agencies, and other organizations. Board members regularly participate in conferences, committees, and safety forums and meet with leaders of other federal agencies. Board members also contribute written works to scholarly journals and trade publications and present papers at professional meetings and other venues.