Transport Canada Acts on Transportation Safety Board Recommendations to Improve Safety

Data recorders

• Transport Canada is already in the process of implementing the following changes to data recorder regulations in aviation, marine and rail modes of transportation:
  • Increasing recording capacity of cockpit voice recorders
  • Increasing power supply in cockpit voice recorders
  • Developing Voyage Data Recorders Regulations in the marine industry

Aviation

• In 2003, Transport Canada introduced regulations requiring aircrafts manufactured after December 31, 2002 to have cockpit voice recorders with a recording capacity of two hours.
• Transport Canada is expanding the regulations for cockpit voice recorders on aircrafts by working on amendments that will be harmonized with U.S. requirements, and will require aircraft flight data and cockpit voice recorders to have a recording capacity of at least two hours.

Rail

• Transport Canada has already implemented rules for locomotive event recorders. For example, all new locomotives built after January 2007 must be equipped with a certified, crashworthy event recorder.
• Effective January 1, 2010, should an event recorder be replaced on a locomotive built prior to January 2008, the event recorder must be replaced with a certified crashworthy event recorder, or one with a hardened memory module.

Marine

• For the marine industry, Transport Canada has developed Voyage Data Recorders Regulations, which are expected to be pre-published in the Canada Gazette, Part I in the summer of 2010.

Safety Management Systems (SMS)

• Transport Canada is in the process of implementing and/or strengthening safety management systems in aviation, marine and rail modes of transportation by:
  • Refining oversight of aviation SMS
  • Strengthening the Railway Safety Act
  • Creating a risk division to oversee enforcement for rail
• Transport Canada introduced SMS regulations for civil aviation in 2005. The next phase of SMS implementation for smaller operators is progressing, time has been taken in order to provide further inspector training and allow operators the time to properly prepare themselves.
• SMS implementation in the rail industry is well underway. Transport Canada continues to perform national, regional and inter-regional safety management system audits of all federally regulated railways.
• In response to the Railway Safety Act Review, Transport Canada and members of the rail industry have developed guidelines and tools to assist railway companies in implementing and improving their safety management systems
• For more than a decade, the international shipping industry, including numerous Canadian operators, has embraced SMS as a standard business practice to promote safe and environmentally sound operating practices. Transport Canada is currently at the halfway point of a two-year pilot project to test SMS implementation for smaller operators working in Canadian waters.

Risk of collisions on runways

• Transport Canada continues to implement and identify prevention measures to reduce the risk of collisions on runways and improve safety.
• For example, Transport Canada is developing specific guidelines for airports and air operators regarding operating in reduced/low visibility; Transport Canada now allows additional markings on taxiway/runway intersections; and Transport Canada is working to ensure that pilots have more information about the condition of the runway during landings.
• In addition, Transport Canada initiated a study of cases covering the period from 2005 to 2009 where aircraft and vehicles crossed runways being used by other aircraft.
• This work builds on work that has been on-going. In 2001, the Incursion Prevention Action Team was formed to address runway incursion issues. The team oversaw the implementation of 23 recommendations related to:
  • Better understanding of the factors contributing to runway incursions
  • Examining and enhancing air traffic control procedures
  • Developing aerodrome standards
  • Facilitating educational/promotional programs
• The team completed its work in 2005 when most of the recommendations had been implemented and the incident trend had become more stable.

Risk of collisions with land and water

• Transport Canada has been working on a number of initiatives to reduce the risk of collision with land and water.
• The most significant initiative is the development of proposed regulations requiring the installation and operation of Terrain Awareness Warning Systems (TAWS) for commercial air taxi, commuter and airline operations. This equipment includes an alerting feature that provides early warnings to flight crews when the path of the aircraft is predicted to collide with the ground. This allows flight crews to take timely, evasive action to avoid a collision.
• Transport Canada’s proposed regulations recognize the safety benefits of this equipment and harmonize standards with regulations in place with other aviation authorities.

Landing acccidents and runway overruns

• Transport Canada has had requirements in place since 2006 for landings in low visibility conditions. The regulations clearly set out the minimum conditions for landings in poor visibility, prohibiting air operators from attempting a landing when visibility is so poor that a successful landing is unlikely.
• Transport Canada continues to take further action to reduce the risk of landing accidents and runway overruns. Including issuing guidelines for pilots and developing a number of regulatory amendments to help pilots with decision-making when flying in poor weather. Pilot decision-making is also a required element of a pilot’s training program.
• On March 5, 2009, Transport Canada published an Advisory entitled “Approach and Landing During Convective Weather Conditions” targeting airline operators. Transport Canada also published an Aviation Safety Letter article “Flight in the Vicinity of Convective Weather” in the 3/2009 issue of the newsletter. This information was targeted at both the industry as a whole and general aviation.
• Transport Canada is an active participant on the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Air Navigation Commission, where activities to mitigate the risk to aircraft from convective weather during the approach and landing phases of flight are discussed and the requirement for additional regulations are analyzed in an international context. This work will ensure that Transport Canada’s requirements are harmonized with international requirements.

Loss of life on fishing vessels

• Transport Canada has developed, through regulations, a plan for more inspection, monitoring and oversight of high-risk vessels. 
• Transport Canada’s proposed Fishing Vessel Safety Regulations focuses on promoting safety while helping to promote an economically viable fishing industry.
• These Regulations address vessel design, construction and equipment and will provide improvements over the current Small Fishing Vessel Inspection Regulations.  The regulations will also include changes for vessels that may navigate in ice-covered waters.
• The new Regulations are expected to come into force in 2012. Pre-publication in the Canada Gazette, Part I is anticipated in 2011. 
• Transport Canada recognizes that regulations are only one part of the solution.  Safety is a shared responsibility and regulations alone cannot address all of the inherent risks in the fishing industry. 
• As such, Transport Canada continues to consult and work closely with other departments and the fishing industry to ensure the department has rules in place that keep pace with the times and that protect fishers, vessels, and the marine environment.

Emergency preparedness on ferries

• Transport Canada is finalizing the Fire and Boat Drill Regulations.
• These regulations will enhance safety by requiring vessel operators to:
  • keep better account of passengers;
  • improve emergency preparedness on their vessels; and
  • require their crews to carry out realistic and efficient emergency drills.
• The new regulations were pre-published in the Canada Gazette, Part I, on October 10, 2009.  Publication in the Canada Gazette, Part II is anticipated for spring 2010 at which time they come into effect.
• The new Fire and Boat Drills Regulations will replace the current Boat and Fire Drill and Means of Exit Regulations. The content of the new Regulations will be consistent with the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 and its associated regulations. 
• Transport Canada has and will continue to issue ship safety bulletins to bring awareness of emergency preparation aboard ferries.

Passenger trains colliding with vehicles

• Transport Canada recognizes and is taking seriously the risk associated with crossings along high-speed corridors.
• Transport Canada is continuing to work with the railway industry and municipalities to perform safety assessments at all remaining crossings along busy passenger train corridors.
• Transport Canada is developing a Grade Crossing Regulation that will provide for better standards on high-speed corridors and prohibit the construction of new crossings if train speeds exceed 128 km/h. This will be pre-published in the Canada Gazette, Part I, which is anticipated in Fall 2010. 
• Transport Canada is developing new low clearance advance warning signs at railway crossings.
• Transport Canada is continuing to support Operation Lifesaver and to fund up to 80 per cent of safety enhancement costs at approximately 80-100 sites across Canada every year.
• Transport Canada recently committed $1,786,200 million in renewed funding over five years for Operation Lifesaver. An additional $28.0 million in funding over five years was also announced in Budget 2009 to improve safety at grade crossings across Canada.

Operation of longer, heavier trains

• Transport Canada has made more funds available to install automatic protection at crossings.
• Transport Canada has initiated a multi-stakeholder research project to examine in train forces (forces generated by grades, curves, distribution of power and train handling practices). The project will be finalized this summer.
• In addition, the industry is moving forward on improved software to better control the factors that affect these longer, heavier trains with respect to the geography of the terrain over which they operate.