Program directory · Transportation Safety Board of Canada
Marine Occurrence Investigations
- Department
- Transportation Safety Board of Canada
- Program code
- BWA02 (CTAIB)
- Core responsibility
- Independent safety investigations and communication of risks in the transportation system
- In Departmental Plans
- 2018-19 – 2026-27 · New since an earlier plan
What it does
The Marine Occurrence Investigations program is governed by the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act, the Transportation Safety Board Regulations, and the Casualty Investigation Code of the International Maritime Organization. Under this program, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada conducts independent investigations into selected marine transportation occurrences in Canada, and in certain circumstances internationally to identify causes and contributing factors. This program includes the publication of investigation reports, the formulation and monitoring of recommendations and other safety communications, as well as the conduct of outreach activities to advocate for changes to operating practices, equipment, infrastructure, and legislation to advance transportation safety. The Marine Occurrence Investigations program also includes the fulfillment of specific Government of Canada obligations related to transportation safety under conventions of the International Maritime Organization and other international agreements.
Source: the department's Program Inventory, via GC InfoBase.
History and lineage
First appears in GC InfoBase's actual spending by program in 2017-18. The data does not record when a program was created; it may be older than its first appearance here, which is limited by the sources (program spending starts in 2010-11, Departmental Plans in 2018-19).
| Program | Relation | Years with data | Actual spending over those years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marine Occurrence Investigations | This program | 2017-18 – 2028-29 | $49.8M |
No earlier or later program in the same department has a similar name.
Significant changes in scope and budget
Detected from the data: renames between plans, programs it appears to replace, merge with or split into (matched by name), year-over-year changes in spending of at least 25% and $5M, or in employees of at least 20% and 25 FTEs, linked budget measures, and results indicators added or dropped.
| Year | What changed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | Indicators added: Average time to complete a class 1 safety issue investigation - Marine; Average time to complete a class 2 complex investigation - Marine; Average time to complete a class 3 detailed investigation - Marine; Average time to complete a class 4 limited-scope investigation - Marine; Average time to complete a class 5 data-gathering investigation - Marine | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2019-20 | Indicators dropped: Average time for completing investigation reports - Marine; Percentage of investigations completed within the published target time - Marine | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2022-23 | Indicators dropped: Average time recommendations have been outstanding - Marine (active and dormant recommendations); Average time to complete a class 1 safety issue investigation - Marine; Average time to complete a class 2 complex investigation - Marine; Average time to complete a class 3 detailed investigation - Marine; Average time to complete a class 4 limited-scope investigation - Marine; Average time to complete a class 5 data-gathering investigation - Marine; Percentage of responses to recommendations assessed as Fully Satisfactory - Marine (since TSB’s creation); Percentage of safety advisories on which safety actions have been taken - Marine | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
Success criteria
The program's indicators from its department's Departmental Results Framework: the target set in each year's plan, and the result reported the following year. Source: GC InfoBase.
Historical: targets against results
Accident rate - Marine (over 10-year period)
Expected result: Marine transportation system is safer
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | Continue downward trend in accident rate | 2019 | 2018 accident rates for Canadian flag commercial vessels, for foreign commercial non-fishing vessels, and for fishing vessels were lower than the 10-year averages. 2.0 accidents per 1,000 vessel movements for Canadian flag commercial vessels, below the 10-year average of 2.8 1.0 accident per 1,000… | Met |
| 2019-20 | Continue downward trend in accident rate | 2020 | The 2019 accident rate for Canadian flag commercial vessels was lower than the 4-year average, and for fishing vessels was lower than the 10-year average. However, the foreign commercial non-fishing vessels was higher than the 4-year average. The marine accident rates in 2019 were: 4.9 accidents per million vessel-kilometres for Canadian flag commercial vessels, below the 4-year average of 6.3. 2.0 accident per million vessel-kilometres for foreign commercial non-fishing vessels, above the 4-year average of 1.6. 5.0 accidents per 1,000 active fishing vessels, below the 10-year average of 6.2. | Not met |
| 2020-21 | Continue downward trend in accident rate | 2021 | 5.6 accidents per million vessel-KM for Canadian flag commercial vessels, below the 5-yr average of 5.7. 2.0 accident per million vessel-KM for foreign commercial non-fishing vessels, above the 5-yr average of 1.7. 6.2 accidents per 1,000 active fishing vessels, above the 10-year average of 6.0. The 2020 accident rate for Canadian flag commercial vessels was slightly lower than the 5-year average, but for fishing vessels was higher than the 10-year average. The foreign commercial non-fishing vessels was also higher than the 5-year average. The increase in accidents is not significant from the previous year. | Not met |
| 2021-22 | Continue downward trend in accident rate | 2022 | The 2021 accident rate for Canadian flag commercial vessels was lower than the 6-year average, and for fishing vessels was lower than the 10-year average. However, the rate for foreign commercial non-fishing vessels was higher than the 6-year average. The marine accident rates in 2021 were: • 3.0 accidents per million vessel-kilometres for Canadian flag commercial vessels, below the 6-year average of 4.8. • 3.7 accidents per 1,000 active fishing vessels, below the 10-year average of 5.9. • 2.3 accidents per million vessel-kilometres for foreign commercial non-fishing vessels, above the 6-year average of 2.2. | Not met |
| 2022-23 | Continue downward trend in accident rate | 2023 | The marine accident rates in 2022 were: 3.0 shipping accidents per million vessel kilometers for Canadian flag commercial vessels, below the 9 year average of 4.0; 3.8 shipping accidents per 1,000 active fishing vessels, below the 10 year average of 5.5; 1.6 shipping accidents per million vessel ki… To determine whether the target for this indicator has been met, the accident rates for the current year are compared against the 10-year average. Where the current year result is below or is equal to the 10-year average, the target is identified as met. For Marine, the metric on vessel-kilometres is only available for 2013 to 2022. For this metric, where the current year result is below or is eq… | Met |
| 2023-24 | Continue downward trend in accident rate | 2024 | The marine accident rate for 2023-24 is 4.26, which represents a 21% decrease compared to the ten-year average of 5.37. | Met |
| 2024-25 | Continue downward trend in accident rate | 2025 | The marine accident rates in 2024 were: 2.5 shipping accidents per million vessel kilometers for Canadian flag commercial vessels, below the 10 year average of 3.7; 5.0 shipping accidents per 1,000 active fishing vessels, below the 10 year average of 5.4; 0.9 shipping accidents per million vessel k… | Met |
Number of fatal accidents - Marine (over 10-year period)
Expected result: Marine transportation system is safer
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | Reduction in number of fatal accidents | 2019 | The number of fatal accidents was 14, above the 10-year average of 11.9 and the number of fatalities in 2018 totaled 20, above the 10-year average of 16.0. 12 of the 14 fatal accidents (8 shipping accidents and 4 accidents aboard ship) and 18 of the 20 fatalities were related to the commercial fishing industry. | Not met |
| 2019-20 | Reduction in number of fatal accidents | 2020 | The number of fatal accidents was 13, above the 10-year average of 11.3 and the number of fatalities in 2019 totalled 17, above the 10-year average of 15.2. The number of fatal accidents was 13, above the 10-year average of 11.3 and the number of fatalities in 2019 totalled 17, above the 10-year average of 15.2. | Not met |
| 2020-21 | Reduction in number of fatal accidents | 2021 | The number of fatal accidents was 9, below the 10-year average of 11.3, but the number of fatalities in 2020 totaled 18, above the 10-year average of 15.4. Although the number of fatalities is above the 10-year average, the number of fatal accidents has reduced since 2019. A majority of the fatal accidents in 2020 and 2021 were from multiple fatality occurrences. | Not met |
| 2021-22 | Reduction in number of fatal accidents | 2022 | The number of fatal accidents was 8, below the 10-year average of 10.3, and the number of fatalities in 2021 totaled 11, below the 10-year average of 15.6. | Met |
| 2022-23 | Reduction in number of fatal accidents | 2023 | The number of fatal accidents in 2022 was 7, below the 10-year average of 10.6, and the number of fatalities totaled 7, below the 10-year average of 15.1. | Met |
| 2023-24 | Reduction in number of fatal accidents | 2024 | In 2023-24, 9 fatal marine accidents were reported to the TSB, which is a 5% decrease compared to the ten-year average of 9.5. | Met |
| 2024-25 | Reduction in number of fatal accidents | 2025 | In 2024, the number of fatal accidents was 9, equal to the 10-year average of 9, and fatalities in 2024 totaled 12, below the 10-year average of 15. | Met |
Average time recommendations have been outstanding - Marine (active and dormant recommendations)
Expected result: Regulators and the transportation industry respond to identified safety deficiencies
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | ≤ 10.5 | 2020 | 10.6 Target to be achieved in future. | Not met |
| 2020-21 | ≤ 10 | 2021 | 11 A large portion of outstanding recommendations from the marine branch have been directed towards regulators, such as Transport Canada and Provincial governments. COVID-19 related regulatory projects have been given priority during the pandemic, which may have delayed action intended to respond to TSB recommendations. | Not met |
| 2021-22 | ≤ 10 | 2022 | 10.5 The difference is 0.5, which is a variance of 5% | Not met |
Average time to complete a class 1 safety issue investigation - Marine
Expected result: Marine occurrence investigations are efficient
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | ≤ 730 | 2020 | — This is not applicable as there has not been a class 1 investigation in the marine mode completed during this fiscal year. | No result reported |
| 2020-21 | ≤ 730 | 2021 | — There were no class 1 investigations underway in 2020 and 2021. | No result reported |
| 2021-22 | ≤ 730 | 2022 | — There were no class 1 investigations completed this fiscal year. | No result reported |
Average time to complete a class 2 complex investigation - Marine
Expected result: Marine occurrence investigations are efficient
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | ≤ 600 | 2020 | — This is not applicable as there has not been a class 2 investigation in the marine mode completed during this fiscal year. | No result reported |
| 2020-21 | ≤ 600 | 2021 | 953 Significant staff turnover in the marine branch has impacted timeframe targets. | Not met |
| 2021-22 | ≤ 600 | 2022 | 1,001 There has been a large staff turnover within the branch owing to retirements and departures which has impacted the completion of this investigation within the target timeline. In addition, significant effort was placed on the collection, review and analysis of data from various internal and external sources. Delays due to COVID were also encountered during the various investigation phases. The re… | Not met |
Average time to complete a class 3 detailed investigation - Marine
Expected result: Marine occurrence investigations are efficient
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | ≤ 450 | 2020 | 548 Not met due to a high workload and significant staff turnover. | Not met |
| 2020-21 | ≤ 450 | 2021 | 708 Significant staff turnover in the marine branch has impacted timeframe targets. | Not met |
| 2021-22 | ≤ 450 | 2022 | 771 There has been a large staff turnover within the branch owing to retirements and departures which impacted the completion of investigations within the target timeline. | Not met |
Average time to complete a class 4 limited-scope investigation - Marine
Expected result: Marine occurrence investigations are efficient
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | ≤ 200 | 2020 | 341 Not met due to a high workload and significant staff turnover. | Not met |
| 2020-21 | ≤ 220 | 2021 | 370 Significant staff turnover in the marine branch has impacted timeframe targets. | Not met |
| 2021-22 | ≤ 220 | 2022 | 234 The difference is 14, which is a variance of 6% | Not met |
Average time to complete a class 5 data-gathering investigation - Marine
Expected result: Marine occurrence investigations are efficient
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | ≤ 60 | 2020 | 30 | Met |
| 2020-21 | ≤ 60 | 2021 | 50 | Met |
| 2021-22 | ≤ 60 | 2022 | 16 | Met |
Percentage of responses to recommendations assessed as Fully Satisfactory - Marine (since TSB’s creation)
Expected result: Regulators and the transportation industry respond to identified safety deficiencies
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | ≥ 85% | 2019 | 83% The target has been substantially met. TSB will continue to monitor the status of the remaining outstanding recommendations and encourage further safety action as necessary. | Not met |
| 2019-20 | ≥ 85% | 2020 | 85% | Met |
| 2020-21 | ≥ 84% | 2021 | 87% | Met |
| 2021-22 | ≥ 85% | 2022 | 87% | Met |
Percentage of safety advisories on which safety actions have been taken - Marine
Expected result: Regulators and the transportation industry respond to identified safety deficiencies
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | ≥ 50% | 2019 | 60% | Met |
| 2019-20 | ≥ 60% | 2020 | 33% Marine safety advisories are typically 2-3 per year, so target not met due to decrease from 2 to 1 actions from change agents. | Not met |
| 2020-21 | ≥ 60% | 2021 | 0% In 2020, one Marine Safety Advisory was issued by the Marine Branch. The TSB received a reply from the recipient, who was not planning to take additional action. | Not met |
| 2021-22 | ≥ 60% | 2022 | 0% The Marine branch issued 2 marine safety letters, which provided information to the recipient. While a response from the recipient explaining the actions the recipient intends to take to address the identified safety issue is requested, no action or response is legally required to be provided by the recipient. | Not met |
Average time for completing investigation reports - Marine
Expected result: Marine occurrence investigations are efficient
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | ≤ 450 | 2019 | 358 | Met |
Percentage of investigations completed within the published target time - Marine
Expected result: Marine occurrence investigations are efficient
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | ≥ 75% | 2019 | 77% | Met |
Current: the 2026-27 plan's targets
Accident rate - Marine (over 10-year period)
Expected result: Marine transportation system is safer
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | Continue downward trend in accident rate | 2027 | — | Planned |
Number of fatal accidents - Marine (over 10-year period)
Expected result: Marine transportation system is safer
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | Reduction in number of fatal accidents | 2027 | — | Planned |
Future goals: targets due after 2026-27
No targets with a later due date.
Spending and employees: planned against actual
Spending
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | — | $5.8M |
| 2018-19 | $5.2M | $5.5M |
| 2019-20 | $5.9M | $5.1M |
| 2020-21 | $5.8M | $6M |
| 2021-22 | $4.9M | $5.7M |
| 2022-23 | $6.2M | $6.7M |
| 2023-24 | $5.8M | $8.2M |
| 2024-25 | $7.8M | $6.8M |
| 2025-26 | $8.6M | — |
| 2026-27 | $7.6M | — |
| 2027-28 | $7.5M* | — |
| 2028-29 | $7.5M* | — |
Employees (FTEs)
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 37 | 38 |
| 2018-19 | 38 | 36 |
| 2019-20 | 39 | 34 |
| 2020-21 | 40 | 39 |
| 2021-22 | 39 | 39 |
| 2022-23 | 41 | 44 |
| 2023-24 | 39 | 48 |
| 2024-25 | 48 | 44 |
| 2025-26 | 48 | — |
| 2026-27 | 46 | — |
| 2027-28 | 46* | — |
| 2028-29 | 46* | — |
Planned spending, plan by plan
Each row is one year's Departmental Plan and its forecast for the next three fiscal years; read a column down to see how the forecast for one year changed. The last row is what was actually spent. Click an amount for its source. Biggest changes in federal spending plans
| Plan | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | 2026-27 | 2027-28 | 2028-29 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 plan | $5,200,909 | $5,200,909 | $5,200,909 | ||||||||
| 2019-20 plan | $5,873,844 | $5,873,844 | $5,873,844 | ||||||||
| 2020-21 plan | $5,822,117 | $5,800,213 | $5,805,756 | ||||||||
| 2021-22 plan | $4,915,858 | $4,928,253 | $4,928,253 | ||||||||
| 2022-23 plan | $6,195,118 | $6,088,648 | $6,088,648 | ||||||||
| 2023-24 plan | $5,843,238 | $5,843,238 | $5,843,238 | ||||||||
| 2024-25 plan | $7,803,960 | $7,729,923 | $7,733,762 | ||||||||
| 2025-26 plan | $8,621,542 | $8,632,979 | $8,632,979 | ||||||||
| 2026-27 plan | $7,555,569 | $7,493,976 | $7,493,976 | ||||||||
| Actual | $5,486,649 | $5,068,948 | $6,035,838 | $5,708,734 | $6,697,137 | $8,198,587 | $6,812,697 |
Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.
