Motor Vehicle Safety: Information on Accidental Fires in Manufacturing Air Bag Propellant

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed recent accidental fires at two U.S. and one Canadian facilities that made gas propellant for automobile air bags and at a Canadian facility that made sodium azide, focusing on: (1) general hazards associated with manufacturing propellant; (2) causes of fires and resulting injuries; (3) safety and health investigations conducted at the U.S. facilities; and (4) the impact of the fires on suppliers' ability to meet the automobile industry's air bag needs.