AIChE/CCPS White Paper: Recommendations for Establishing Process Safety Investigation Boards

Global population growth and the associated growth in the production of goods and services provided by high-hazard process industries require increasingly stronger safety systems that reduce the potential for catastrophic failures. One contribution toward enhancing safety is to expand the number of national Process Safety Investigation Boards (PSIBs). As recent experience has shown, PSIBs can: investigate catastrophic events resulting in severe damages; identify their circumstances and causes; recommend specific ways to prevent their recurrence; communicate with audiences vulnerable to experiencing similar incidents; and coordinate with other relevant governmental agencies and the private sector to strengthen the policies and practice of process safety. A knowledgeable, skilled, diverse board selected by high-level, public officials and subject to limited terms, can help ensure performance and accountability for the PSIB and its more permanent, hired expert staff who establish and maintain the core technical competencies needed to fulfill the PSIB’s functions.