April 14, 2017, Washington, D.C. - Today the CSB released a “Business Case for Safety” that summarizes four major accident investigations. The six page documents details how safety is good for business and ultimately a company’s bottom line.
Included in the business case are the costs associated with the 2005
explosion and fire at BP Texas City, the 2010 explosion and fire aboard
the Macondo/Deepwater Horizon oil rig, the 2012 explosion and fire at
the Chevron Refinery and the 2013 fire and massive explosion at West
Fertilizer. Each of the four CSB accident investigation details both
human and financial tolls which these incidents had on the company and
the surrounding communities.
The CSB’s “Business Case for Safety” emphasizes that based on its more
than 130 incidents it is clear that hundreds of billions of dollars have
been spent as a result of chemical disasters in the United States. To
ensure the safety of all Americans it is critical that chemical safety
lesson are learned and shared among
diverse stakeholders and across industries to prevent accidents.
Chairperson Sutherland said, “If the CSB’s many safety lessons prevented
at least one catastrophic incident, the money saved by preventing
damage to the facility and surrounding community, avoiding legal
settlements, and saving human lives far exceeds the agency’s $11 million
annual budget.”
The CSB concludes that strong safety programs are critical for the
economic success of the chemical and petrochemical industries. The CSB’s
continued collaboration with industry, regulators, standards setting
bodies and other professional organizations proves that the CSB has a
vital role in driving critical chemical safety change in the United
States.