A three-person investigative team from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is deploying to the scene of an incident that killed three people and injured four others on Monday, April 3 at the Loy-Lange Box Company in Saint Louis, Missouri. Two of the fatalities were members of the public.
 
According to initial reports, the incident took place when a boiler exploded at the plant, where one worker was killed. The force of the explosion launched the boiler into the air where it flew approximately 500 feet before landing on a nearby laundry facility, killing two members of the public.
 
CSB Chairperson Vanessa Sutherland said, “The CSB’s mission is to investigate and issue recommendations that promote safety at industrial facilities as well as for nearby communities.  As a result of Monday’s explosion, our team will be examining what if any safeguards were in place to protect the workers at the Loy-Lange Box Company, as well as for those in the adjoining building.” 
  
The CSB is an independent federal agency whose mission is to drive chemical safety change through independent investigations to protect people and the environment. The agency’s board members are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical incidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in regulations, industry standards, and safety management systems.

President Trump has proposed eliminating the CSB in his 2018 budget proposal.