News release

Advancing transportation safety: TSB highlights achievements and ongoing initiatives in annual safety recommendations review

Gatineau, Quebec, 20 June 2024 — Today, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) released its annual assessment of responses to 60 outstanding recommendations in the air, marine, and rail transportation sectors, continuing its work to enhance transportation safety and guiding stakeholders toward safer practices.

The TSB issues safety recommendations as a call to industry and regulators to address systemic problems that pose a serious safety risk to Canada’s transportation system. Each year, the TSB assesses progress on outstanding recommendations as part of its ongoing efforts to urge the regulators or industry to act on the safety issues identified in TSB investigations.

The Board's latest assessments bring the total percentage of responses to TSB recommendations rated fully satisfactory to 83%, indicating that some progress has been made across Canada's transportation system. As of March 31, 2024, 91 recommendations remain outstanding, including eight new recommendations issued in the 2023–24 fiscal year.

Responses to recommendations are assessed based on the extent to which the underlying safety deficiency has been or is being addressed. For more details, see the Board’s assessment rating guide.

Air transportation sector

Of the 31 responses to air transportation safety recommendations that the Board assessed in 2023–24, two were closed: one was closed after being assessed as Fully Satisfactory (A21-01), and the other was closed as Satisfactory in Part (A07-06).

The Board issued Recommendation A21-01 calling for NAV CANADA to make available, in a timely manner, graphic depictions of closures and other significant changes related to aerodrome or runway operations to accompany the associated notices to airmen (NOTAMs) so that the information communicated on these hazards are more easily understood. The Board closed this recommendation after being assessed as Fully Satisfactory following NAV CANADA’s significant improvements to the NOTAM publishing procedures, effectively reducing the risk associated with the identified safety deficiency.

The responses to recommendations A90-81, A90-83, and A90-84, which aimed to address persistent risks in commercial helicopter operations, remain Unsatisfactory since their issuance three decades ago. These have now been made dormant and are superseded by three new recommendations to Transport Canada (A24-01, A24-02, and A24-04) issued following an investigation (A21C0038) into a 2021 fatal helicopter crash that highlighted insufficient regulatory requirements and defences to protect against loss of visual reference accidents. These have yet to be assessed by the Board.

Marine transportation sector

The Board assessed the progress of 19 marine transportation safety recommendations in 2023–24, and one was closed as Fully Satisfactory (M99-02 ).

In 1999, the Board recommended that provinces review their workplace legislation with a view to presenting it in a manner that will be readily understood by those to whom it applies, and to help ensure that the enforcement mechanism and the regulatory regime complement each other (M99-02). The responses received from all the provinces, except Ontario, had already been reviewed and assessed as Fully Satisfactory.

In August 2023, the Board reviewed Ontario’s response and believes that sufficient resources have been developed for fish harvesters to understand appropriate regulations. Therefore, the Board considers the response to M99-02 for the province of Ontario to be Fully Satisfactory.

Rail transportation sector

Of the 10 responses to rail transportation safety recommendations the Board assessed in 2023–24, one was closed as Fully Satisfactory (R22-01).

The Board closed recommendation R22-01 as Fully Satisfactory following Transport Canada’s approval of revisions to the Railway Freight and Passenger Train Brake Inspection and Safety Rules, effective in 2025, by introducing the requirement to replace brake cylinders every 14 years on freight cars operating in mountain grade territory in cold weather. This revision strengthens maintenance standards and will improve cold weather air brake performance on trains operating in mountain grade territory.

Pipeline transportation sector

The Board did not issue any pipeline recommendations in 2023–24, and all responses to pipeline transportation safety recommendations were previously assessed as Fully Satisfactory.

The TSB remains dedicated to monitoring responses to its safety recommendations and engaging stakeholders to further mitigate safety deficiencies in Canada's air, marine, pipeline, and rail transportation sectors. This ongoing commitment reflects the Board's dedication to enhancing safety standards across all sectors.