Program directory · Transportation Safety Board of Canada
Pipeline Occurrence Investigations
- Department
- Transportation Safety Board of Canada
- Program code
- BWA04 (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 Pipeline Occurrence Investigations program is governed by the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act and the Transportation Safety Board Regulations. Under this program, the TSB conducts independent investigations into selected pipeline occurrences under federal jurisdiction within Canada 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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pipeline Occurrence Investigations | This program | 2017-18 – 2028-29 | $4.3M |
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 - Pipeline; Average time to complete a class 2 complex investigation - Pipeline; Average time to complete a class 3 detailed investigation - Pipeline; Average time to complete a class 4 limited-scope investigation - Pipeline; Average time to complete a class 5 data-gathering investigation - Pipeline | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2019-20 | Indicators dropped: Average time for completing investigation reports - Pipeline; Percentage of investigations completed within the published target time - Pipeline | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2022-23 | Indicators added: Number of fatal accidents - Pipeline (over 10-year period) | Departmental Results Framework (GC InfoBase) |
| 2022-23 | Indicators dropped: Average time recommendations have been outstanding - Pipeline (active and dormant recommendations); Average time to complete a class 1 safety issue investigation - Pipeline; Average time to complete a class 2 complex investigation - Pipeline; Average time to complete a class 3 detailed investigation - Pipeline; Average time to complete a class 4 limited-scope investigation - Pipeline; Average time to complete a class 5 data-gathering investigation - Pipeline; Percentage of responses to recommendations assessed as Fully Satisfactory - Pipeline (since TSB’s creation); Percentage of safety advisories on which safety actions have been taken - Pipeline | 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 - Pipeline (over 10-year period)
Expected result: Pipeline transportation system is safer
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | Continue downward trend in accident rate | 2019 | The 2018 rate was 0.06 pipeline accidents per exajoule, below the 10-year average of 0.3. | Met |
| 2019-20 | Continue downward trend in accident rate | 2020 | The 2019 rate was 0.0 pipeline accidents per exajoule, below the 10-year average of 0.4. | Met |
| 2020-21 | Continue downward trend in accident rate | 2021 | The 2020 rate was 0.0 pipeline accidents per exajoule, below the 10-year average of 0.3. | Met |
| 2021-22 | Continue downward trend in accident rate | 2022 | The 2021 rate was 0.1 pipeline accidents per exajoule, below the 10-year average of 0.2. | Met |
| 2022-23 | Continue downward trend in accident rate | 2023 | The 2022 pipeline accident rate was 0.05 pipeline accidents per exajoule, below the 10-year average of 0.19. | Met |
| 2023-24 | Continue downward trend in accident rate | 2024 | The pipeline accident rate for 2023-24 is 0, representing a 100% reduction compared to the ten-year average rate of 2.4. | Met |
| 2024-25 | Continue downward trend in accident rate | 2025 | The 2024 pipeline accident rate was 0.1 pipeline accidents per exajoule, equal to the 10-year average of 0.1. | Met |
Number of fatal accidents - Pipeline (over 10-year period)
Expected result: Pipeline transportation system is safer
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | No fatal accidents | 2023 | There have been no fatal pipeline accidents. | Met |
| 2023-24 | No fatal accidents | 2024 | In 2023-24, 0 fatal pipeline accidents were reported to the TSB, matching the ten-year average of 0. | Met |
| 2024-25 | No fatal accidents | 2025 | There have been no fatal pipeline accidents | Met |
Average time recommendations have been outstanding - Pipeline (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 | ≤ 7 | 2020 | — There are no outstanding pipeline recommendations. | No result reported |
| 2020-21 | ≤ 7 | 2021 | — There are no outstanding TSB recommendations relating to pipelines. | No result reported |
| 2021-22 | ≤ 7 | 2022 | — There are no outstanding TSB recommendations relating to pipelines. | No result reported |
Average time to complete a class 1 safety issue investigation - Pipeline
Expected result: Pipeline 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 pipeline mode started nor completed at the TSB. | No result reported |
| 2020-21 | ≤ 730 | 2021 | — The was no Class 1 investigation in the pipeline mode completed during this fiscal year. | No result reported |
| 2021-22 | ≤ 730 | 2022 | — The was no Class 1 investigation in the pipeline mode completed during this fiscal year. | No result reported |
Average time to complete a class 2 complex investigation - Pipeline
Expected result: Pipeline 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 pipeline mode started nor completed since last fiscal year. | No result reported |
| 2020-21 | ≤ 600 | 2021 | — There were no class 2 safety investigations conducted. | No result reported |
| 2021-22 | ≤ 600 | 2022 | — The was no Class 2 investigation in the pipeline mode completed during this fiscal year. | No result reported |
Average time to complete a class 3 detailed investigation - Pipeline
Expected result: Pipeline occurrence investigations are efficient
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | ≤ 450 | 2020 | 513 Delays associated with available resources and competing priorities resulted in the average time to complete a class 3 investigation to be higher than the target. | Not met |
| 2020-21 | ≤ 450 | 2021 | — There were no class 3 safety investigations conducted. | No result reported |
| 2021-22 | ≤ 450 | 2022 | — The was no Class 3 investigation in the pipeline mode completed during this fiscal year. | No result reported |
Average time to complete a class 4 limited-scope investigation - Pipeline
Expected result: Pipeline occurrence investigations are efficient
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | ≤ 200 | 2020 | — This is not applicable as there has not been a class 4 investigation in the pipeline mode started nor completed since last fiscal year. | No result reported |
| 2020-21 | ≤ 220 | 2021 | 279 The Rail/Pipeline Investigations Branch completed a higher number of investigations this year, many of which were older. This increased the average number of days for this result. | Not met |
| 2021-22 | ≤ 220 | 2022 | 304 One class 4 pipeline investigation was completed during the fiscal year. Engagement activities were conducted with affected pipeline stakeholders, including Indigenous communities, which added to the time required to complete the investigation. | Not met |
Average time to complete a class 5 data-gathering investigation - Pipeline
Expected result: Pipeline occurrence investigations are efficient
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | ≤ 60 | 2020 | 62 Delays associated with available resources and competing priorities resulted in the average time to complete a class 5 investigation to be higher than the target. | Not met |
| 2020-21 | ≤ 60 | 2021 | 171 Delays associated with available resources and competing priorities resulted in the average time to complete a class 5 investigation to be higher than the target. | Not met |
| 2021-22 | ≤ 60 | 2022 | 41 | Met |
Percentage of responses to recommendations assessed as Fully Satisfactory - Pipeline (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 | ≥ 100% | 2019 | 100% | Met |
| 2019-20 | ≥ 100% | 2020 | 100% | Met |
| 2020-21 | ≥ 100% | 2021 | 100% | Met |
| 2021-22 | ≥ 100% | 2022 | 100% | Met |
Percentage of safety advisories on which safety actions have been taken - Pipeline
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 | — Not applicable. To be replaced by new indicators as per the new TSB Policy on Occurrence Classification starting in fiscal year 2019-20. | No result reported |
| 2019-20 | ≥ 75% | 2020 | 100% | Met |
| 2020-21 | ≥ 75% | 2021 | — There were no safety advisory issued in the pipeline mode. | No result reported |
| 2021-22 | ≥ 75% | 2022 | — There were no safety advisories issued in the pipeline mode. | No result reported |
Average time for completing investigation reports - Pipeline
Expected result: Pipeline occurrence investigations are efficient
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | ≤ 450 | 2019 | 393 | Met |
Percentage of investigations completed within the published target time - Pipeline
Expected result: Pipeline occurrence investigations are efficient
Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | ≥ 75% | 2019 | 50% Not met due to a high workload and significant staff turnover. We will continue to assess and prioritize work activity to improve the overall timeliness of investigation reports. | Not met |
Current: the 2026-27 plan's targets
Accident rate - Pipeline (over 10-year period)
Expected result: Pipeline transportation system is safer
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | Continue downward trend in accident rate | 2027 | — | Planned |
Number of fatal accidents - Pipeline (over 10-year period)
Expected result: Pipeline transportation system is safer
| Report year | Target | Due | Result | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | No 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 | — | $371K |
| 2018-19 | $277K | $360K |
| 2019-20 | $377K | $361K |
| 2020-21 | $382K | $547K |
| 2021-22 | $351K | $569K |
| 2022-23 | $407K | $740K |
| 2023-24 | $582K | $730K |
| 2024-25 | $862K | $647K |
| 2025-26 | $767K | — |
| 2026-27 | $718K | — |
| 2027-28 | $712K* | — |
| 2028-29 | $712K* | — |
Employees (FTEs)
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Planned | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 2 | 3 |
| 2018-19 | 3 | 3 |
| 2019-20 | 3 | 4 |
| 2020-21 | 38 | 4 |
| 2021-22 | 4 | 4 |
| 2022-23 | 4 | 5 |
| 2023-24 | 4 | 4 |
| 2024-25 | 5 | 3 |
| 2025-26 | 5 | — |
| 2026-27 | 4 | — |
| 2027-28 | 4* | — |
| 2028-29 | 4* | — |
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 | $276,520 | $276,520 | $276,520 | ||||||||
| 2019-20 plan | $376,847 | $376,847 | $376,847 | ||||||||
| 2020-21 plan | $382,390 | $380,951 | $381,315 | ||||||||
| 2021-22 plan | $350,568 | $351,452 | $351,452 | ||||||||
| 2022-23 plan | $406,888 | $399,895 | $399,895 | ||||||||
| 2023-24 plan | $582,439 | $582,439 | $583,439 | ||||||||
| 2024-25 plan | $861,737 | $853,561 | $853,986 | ||||||||
| 2025-26 plan | $767,288 | $768,306 | $768,306 | ||||||||
| 2026-27 plan | $717,547 | $711,697 | $711,697 | ||||||||
| Actual | $360,356 | $361,485 | $547,007 | $569,032 | $739,518 | $729,646 | $646,997 |
Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.
