A guide for media covering a major transport accident
Summary
A guide for media covering a major
transport accident
This brochure provides a brief overview of how the Australian
Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) will work with the media when
investigating a major aviation, marine or rail transport accident.
The brochure also outlines what sort of information the ATSB is
able to provide to the media about an accident.
Because the Commonwealth shares jurisdiction with the States and
Territories for the investigation of marine and rail accidents,
arrangements may have to be made in consultation with state or
territory governments and authorities. State or territory Coroners
have a role in all accident fatalities.
The ATSB is responsible for investigating and determining the
contributing factors to serious civil aviation accidents and
incidents in Australia (other than sports aviation). Where the
Australian Government has jurisdiction, the ATSB also investigates
a number of marine and rail accidents.
The ATSB's investigatory
role
The ATSB is an independent Commonwealth Government statutory
Agency. The Bureau is managed by a Commission and is entirely
separate from transport regulators, policy makers and service
providers.
The ATSB's function is to improve safety and public confidence
in the aviation, marine and rail modes of transport through
excellence in: independent investigation of transport accidents and
other safety occurrences;
safety data recording, analysis and research; and fostering safety
awareness, knowledge and action.
The ATSB is established by the Transport Safety Investigation
Act 2003 (TSI Act) and conducts its investigations in accordance
with the provisions of the Act. Under the TSI Act, it is not a
function of the ATSB to apportion blame or provide a means for
determining liability. The ATSB does not investigate for the
purpose of taking administrative, regulatory or criminal
action.
Responding to a major accident
If a major transport accident occurs in Australia, involving
tens if not hundreds of fatalities and serious injuries, State and
Territory agencies will activate well-developed emergency response
plans. If necessary, they will also draw on federal government
resources coordinated through Emergency Management Australia
(EMA).
Where there are fatalities, the state or territory Coroner will
have a significant role. In most cases, state or territory police
will take initial control of the accident site and manage site
access. Depending on the nature of the accident site, the ATSB may
take control after it arrives, once the immediate fire and rescue
services have completed their emergency response functions.
ATSB media operations
IIn the event of a major accident, the ATSB will establish a
media centre in Canberra. The centre will provide a central call
number for all media enquiries, and will coordinate media
conferences, interviews and media releases. Contact details will be
sent to all newsrooms by Faxstream as quickly as possible.
All ATSB media releases, factual reports and contact information
will be posted on the ATSB website at www.atsb.gov.au.
ATSB media operations at a major accident
scene
Once the nature of the accident has been established, an initial
team of investigators and safety personnel led by a senior
transport safety investigator (the 'Investigator in Charge') will
travel to the accident site to begin the investigation.
At least one communications officer will accompany the ATSB
investigation team and liaise with the media at the site to
coordinate media conferences and other requests. When and if
conditions permit, communications officers will organise tours of
the accident scene for the news media, either in total or in a pool
arrangement. Please keep in mind that there may be limitations
posed by physical and biomedical hazards and the preservation of
evidence.
The ATSB will maintain a communications presence at a major
accident scene for as long as circumstances warrant.
The ATSB will keep the media informed and will hold media
conferences as appropriate. Sometimes the accident site's location
and other operational requirements such as the preservation of
evidence will determine when and where the conference takes
place.
Information about the
major accident and the ATSB investigation
The ATSB is not an emergency response agency. It will be the job
of the police and the emergency services to preserve health and
life, and to manage any environmental impacts. Emergency Management
Australia and Australian Search and Rescue (AusSAR) may also have a
role in this regard.
While on scene, the ATSB will not normally announce the
contributing factors that led to the accident. Indeed, many of
these factors may not be finally determined until many months after
the accident. Only the ATSB may authorise the release of
information about the ATSB's investigation.
The ATSB's spokesperson will only discuss factual, verified,
documented information. They will not analyse that information or
speculate as to the significance of any particular piece of
information.
The ATSB will not release the identities of victims or survivors
of accidents. Such information may be sought from the transport
company involved, or from the police after permission has been
given by the Coroner.
The media should be aware that, at most accident sites, the ATSB
will issue a Protection Order over the site and any associated
evidence. It is a criminal offence to remove or interfere with any
evidence without the permission of the ATSB. In addition, the ATSB
will generally establish an exclusion zone in the air above the
accident site. That zone is in the interests of the occupational
health and safety of the police and ATSB investigators as they
undertake the on-site phase of their respective investigations. The
exclusion zone is promulgated via a notice to airmen (NOTAM) and
all pilots (including news pilots) routinely access such
notices.
Background information
The ATSB website offers a large library of accident and
statistical information, and other useful data.
Other agencies' websites may also help when gathering background
information. For example, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority
(CASA) is the source for aircraft major defect reports and
Australian aviation regulations, while Airservices Australia has
prime carriage for the provision of air traffic control services.
For marine accidents, relevant background information may be
obtained from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) and
for rail, from state and territory transport authorities. Links to
most of those agencies can be found on the 'Related Sites' page of
the ATSB website www.atsb.gov.au.
Information on aircraft, ship or rail rolling stock models or
engine types can be obtained directly from the respective
manufacturers.
Families/next of kin of accident
victims
The ATSB is not responsible for coordinating to meet the needs
of transport accident victims and their families. In the case of
aviation, for example, that function is managed by industry and
response agencies under protocols coordinated through the
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and
Local Government (Department of Infrastructure).
In the event of a major aviation accident, the air carrier will
be chiefly responsible for assisting victims and their families.
The code for preparing airline family assistance plans (the 'Family
Assistance Code') is available online at the Department of
Infrastructure's website <www.infrastructure.gov.au> State
and Territory governments also have a significant role in disaster
response.
After the on-scene investigation
Even after the ATSB team has left the accident scene, the
fact-gathering phase of the investigation continues. Factual
reports, which become the basis for later analysis, may be issued
before the Bureau releases its final report. In the case of major
occurrences, a preliminary report will normally be issued within 30
days of the occurrence, and interim factual reports will normally
be issued every 6 months thereafter.
The final transport safety report, containing the Bureau's
assessment of the contributing factors and safety issues relevant
to the accident, will be released to the public as soon as it
becomes available. Stakeholders, such as the aircraft, ship or
train operator, the regulator, or other parties can take safety
action at any time during an investigation. Alternatively, and
depending on the level of risk associated with an identified safety
issue, the ATSB may issue safety recommendations at any time during
an investigation, or in the final report.
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Type: Corporate Brochure
Publication Date: 01/07/2009