DSB blev dannet efter Enschede fireworks disaster and the Volendam café fire ved en sammensmeltning af den militære hhv. den cicile havarikommission i 2005.

As of 2012 the DSB actively investigates accidents and incidents related to aviation, construction and services, crisis management and aid provision, defence, human and animal health care, industry and networks, pipelines, rail transport, shipping, and water. The DSB has the authorization to investigate accidents and incidents in any conceivable field.⁵⁾.

DSB's undersøgelsesområder omfatter:

• Luftfart(commercial, passenger and private aviation)
• Søfart(inland navigation and some segments of recreational navigation)
• Jernbane (railways and increasingly also tram, metro and light rail)
• Veje (due to the high number of accidents, only thematic investigations)
• Pipelines (pipelines, public utilities included)
• Militær (military aviation, navigation, road transport, underground infrastructure)
• Industry and trade (heavy industry (especially process industry, labour accidents))
• Crisis management and aid provision (performance of aid and control services)
• Healthcare (human and animal)
• Nature and environment (impact of aviation, marine operations, railroad and transportation)

The board acts as an autonomous organisation. Its code of conduct is established by law.

The organisation consists of a Board and a Bureau. The Board has five permanent members, the Bureau fulfills executive tasks.

• Turkish Airlines Flight 1951

• Dutch Safety Board
• Dutch Safety Board (Hollandsk)