Confidential reporting R26:
Recommendation 26
10.35 The committee recommends that in relation to mandatory and confidential reporting, the default position should be that no identifying details should be provided or disclosed. However, if there is a clear risk to safety then the ATSB, CASA and industry representatives should develop a process that contains appropriate checks and balances.
Maybe while the Canucks are here we could learn a bit about their system of confidential reporting??
Report transportation safety concerns in confidence
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) administers a program called SECURITAS that enables you to report-in confidence-concerns you may have about safety in the marine, pipeline, rail and air modes of transportation. The incidents and potentially unsafe acts or conditions you report through SECURITAS are not always reported through other channels.
Why use SECURITAS?
SECURITAS reports can lead to the TSB making formal recommendations to the Minister of Transport or issuing safety advisories to other government departments or industry organizations for action.
SECURITAS reports can help the TSB identify widespread safety issues.
By combining confidential report data with other accident and incident reports and studies, and by sharing safety information with other agencies in Canada and abroad, investigators gain greater insight into national and global transportation safety issues.
SECURITAS reports may support TSB studies and analyses on safety-related matters such as operating procedures, training, human performance and equipment.
How is confidentiality protected?
The Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act (CTAISB Act) protects the confidentiality of the statements that witnesses or those involved in transportation occurrences make, as well as the identity of persons who report confidentially to SECURITAS, so they can be frank with TSB investigators without any fear of reprisal, self-incrimination or embarrassment.
Letters, faxes, e-mails and telephone messages to SECURITAS come directly into the SECURITAS office and are handled only by authorized SECURITAS analysts. The analysts are specialists in marine, pipeline, rail and aviation safety.
A confidential record is kept of the reporter's name and contact information because the SECURITAS analyst may need to reach the reporter to follow up on the details of his or her report-but the reporter's identity is kept confidential.
The CTAISB Act (Section 31) and the TSB Regulations prohibit the release of any information that could reveal a confidential reporter's identity without the reporter's written consent.
How is this information used?
SECURITAS analysts examine each report and enter the pertinent information into the SECURITAS database. The TSB initiates action according to the gravity of the safety concern.
When the reported observation is confirmed to represent a safety deficiency, the TSB forwards the information, often with its suggestion for corrective action, to the appropriate regulatory authority. Sometimes the TSB contacts specific transportation organizations, companies and/or agencies directly if they are the ones best placed to correct the problem, but it will not take any action that might reveal the reporter's identity.
By comparing SECURITAS reports with other reports of similar situations, the TSB can also identify systemic safety deficiencies.
How to report to SECURITAS
SECURITAS is primarily concerned with unsafe acts and conditions in commercial and public transportation systems within federally-regulated modes of transport (marine, pipeline, rail and air).
Contact SECURITAS, and include the following in your message:- your name, address and phone number
- your profession and experience
- your involvement in the unsafe situation being reported
- where else you may have reported this unsafe situation or safety concern
- complete identification of the ship, pipeline, rolling stock or aircraft
- the name of the owner/operator of the equipment
Also, please describe the unsafe act or safety concern.
For example:- How was the unsafe act/condition discovered?
- If you are describing an event, tell SECURITAS
- what happened;
- where it happened;
- when it happened (the date and the local time); and
- why you think it happened.
- What actions/inactions resulted, or could have resulted?
- How do you think the situation could be corrected?
You will find the contact information at the end of this brochure.
What should you not report to SECURITAS?
- Regulatory infractions or illegal activities that do not affect safety
- Customer service complaints
- Undesirable working conditions that do not affect transportation safety
False or misleading reports: Remember that it is an offence to knowingly give false or misleading statements to the TSB through SECURITAS. The purpose of your report should be to advance transportation safety through the identification of real safety deficiencies.
Air sector
Who reports to SECURITAS?
You are a pilot, air traffic controller, dispatcher, flight services specialist, flight attendant, aircraft maintenance engineer, a passenger-or any other person having an interest in aviation safety.
What kind of situation should you report?
These are some examples of the types of situations that could affect air transportation safety and that your report might help correct.
Unsafe conditions
- Chronic lack of repair of aircraft, poor maintenance practices
- Unsafe runway or aerodrome conditions
- Inadequate or poor air traffic services in a particular area
- Poor reception of navigation signals, weak radio coverage, inadequate weather services
- Errors in aeronautical publications; unsafe procedures published in manuals of instructions for pilots, cabin crew, ground crew, or aircraft maintenance or air traffic services
Unsafe procedures and practices
- Routinely descending below minimum en route altitude or approach in instrument meteorological conditions
- Non-compliance with airworthiness directives, minimum equipment list
- Pilots flying in excess of regulatory flight-time limits
- Unsafe aircraft circuit procedures and/or communications
- Air traffic control practices that could jeopardize the safety of flight, e.g., use of non-standard phraseology, compromising separation criteria, inadequate manning and supervision
- Unsafe cabin baggage stowage procedures; unsafe passenger seating or cargo securing arrangements
- Aircraft maintenance procedures not completed correctly but signed off
- Shortcuts in following checklist procedures
- Crew scheduling problems: inadequate crew composition, unqualified crew, inadequate crew rest
- Scheduling personnel who are not professionally or medically qualified for the assigned duties
- The use of unapproved parts, time-expired equipment
Send us your reports
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada will never reveal your identity or any information that could identify who you are. By reporting an unsafe act or condition, you can help make a real difference towards improving transportation safety.
