On 20 May 2004, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) commenced operating a Confidential Marine Reporting Scheme (CMRS) under the Navigation (Confidential Marine Reporting Scheme) Regulations 2004 (the Regulations). The aim of the scheme is to improve safety in Australian waters by enabling the ATSB to receive, assess and act on confidential reports to prevent or reduce the risks of marine accidents.
In November 2000, a container ship ran aground on a coral reef in a highly sensitive area of the Great Barrier Reef. After the incident, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport and Regional Services commissioned a review of ship safety and pollution prevention measures in the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait.
The review noted that a confidential marine reporting system could enhance safety at sea and protection of the marine environment by:
- providing information on problems of a particular ship or on unsafe company practices;
- supplementing the work of port State control authorities; and,
- enabling safety authorities to develop appropriate education programs for the entire industry.
The review also noted that confidential reporting of near-miss incidents or unsafe practices could yield information that would permit pre-emptive safety action to be taken. It recommended that the ATSB establish a confidential marine incident reporting system to relay information to the appropriate authorities.
In accepting the recommendation in the review, the Federal Government considered that the safety value of a confidential marine reporting scheme would extend beyond the Great Barrier Reef. On 13 May 2003, the Government announced that the ATSB would establish the scheme and accept safety reports from anyone connected with shipping in Australian waters.
The scheme will be administered by the Executive Director of the ATSB whose powers and functions are contained in the Regulations.
The Regulations apply to marine activities associated with the operation or safety of a ship to which the Navigation Act 1912 applies and contain details of matters which may be reported under the CMRS including:
- A procedure or practice that would endanger the safety of the ship or a person, such as unsafe navigation;
- Defective life saving or fire fighting equipment;
- Extreme corrosion of the hull;
- Crew schedules resulting in fatigue;
- Unreported accidents and near misses.
Seafarers and others connected with the marine industry may now make their safety concerns known under the CMRS. The CMRS is also intended for use, for instance, by a passenger on a ship or a person ashore who observes a marine safety issue and wishes to report it.
While anonymous reports will generally not be accepted, all reports will be processed in such a manner that the identities of reporters will be kept confidential.
The scheme encourages the reporting of reportable safety issues, but it may not be used by masters, pilots, agents or owners who have an obligation, under mandatory reporting requirements, to report incidents or accidents if they are the responsible persons. Nor may the scheme be used for reporting industrial relations issues or unlawful interference with a ship.
The terms reportable safety issue, mandatory reporting requirement and unlawful interference with a ship are defined in the Regulations.
Reports may be made by telephone, email or fax, or by downloading, completing and posting (free of cost within Australia) the confidential marine reporting form offline from the bottom of this page (below).
Reports may be made to:
Reply Paid 600
The Manager CMRS
PO Box 600
Civic Square
ACT 2608
Australia-wide toll-free telephone number: 1800 020 505
Facsimile number: 02 6274 6461
E-mail: cmrs@atsb.gov.au
Reports may also be submitted by using the confidential marine reporting form online from the same website. Guidelines for submission of the form may be obtained at CMRS reporting guidelines.
Any reference to, or any information that might identify, a reporter will be removed to de-identify each report. Reports will be assessed by experienced officers to determine what action is required. The de-identified information will be entered into a secure database to enable reports to be analysed for safety information or to determine unsafe trends.
The de-identified information from confidential reports may be forwarded by the ATSB to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority for appropriate action. The information may also be used to issue information briefs or alert bulletins to the maritime community. The ATSB will publish reviews of information from confidential reports and will, with a committee established for the purpose, periodically assess the effectiveness of CMRS.
Reporting Forms
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