It’s official: The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) has announced that it’ll publish its final rule on incidental chemical release reporting in the Federal Register during the week of Feb. 10, 2020, which means you’ll be required to report accidental chemical releases to the federal government beginning in mid-March, 2020.
Companies will be required to report unintentional chemical releases that result in a fatality, a serious injury, or substantial property damage.
Any release that fits the criteria must be reported to the CSB or to the National Response Center within four hours. Among other things, the report must include a description of the release, the name of the released chemical and the volume of the release.
Your best bet: Make sure everyone is aware of the significant consequences of not reporting chemical releases. Violations of this regulation could lead to jail time for offenders.