Statistical summary: Marine transportation occurrences in 2018

This document is a summary of selected 2018 marine transportation safety data.

The TSB gathers and uses this data during the course of its investigations to analyze safety deficiencies and identify risks in the Canadian transportation system.

It should be noted that certain characteristics of the data constrain statistical analysis and identification of emerging trends. These include the small totals of accidents and incidents, the large variability in the data from year to year, and changes to regulations and definitions. The reader is cautioned to keep these limitations in mind when viewing this summary to avoid drawing conclusions that cannot be supported by statistical analysis.

The 2018 data were collected according to the reporting requirements described in the TSB Regulations in force during that calendar year.

The statistics presented here reflect the TSB MARSIS database at 15 February 2019. Since the occurrence data are constantly being updated in the live database, the statistics may change slightly over time.

Also, as many occurrences are not formally investigated, information recorded on some occurrences may not have been verified.

Accidents

Overview of accidents and casualties

In 2018, 282 marine accidents^{Footnote 1} were reported to the TSB, up from the 2017 total of 279, but below the 10-year (2008–2017) average of 307 (Figure 1). In 2018, and over the past 10 years, the proportion of shipping accidents (vs. accidents aboard ship) has remained constant, at 83%.

There were 233 shipping accidents in 2018, unchanged from the 2017 total of 233 and down 9% from the 2008–2017 average of 255.  The majority of shipping accidents involved fishing vessels (28%), followed by solid cargo vessels (18%).

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In 2018, there were 49 accidents aboard ship, up from 46 in 2017 but down from the 2008–2017 average of 52. The majority of accidents aboard ship occurred on fishing vessels (38%) and cargo vessels (34%) .

Casualties (Tables 6 and 7)

Marine fatalities totalled 20 in 2018: 14 were the result of 8 shipping accidents, while the remaining 6 fatalities resulted from 6 accidents aboard ship (Figure 2). This total is up from the 11 fatalities reported in 2017, and above the annual average of 16 in 2008–2017. All 14 of the shipping accident fatalities (and all 8 fatal shipping accidents) involved Canadian-flag fishing vessels, and 4 of the 6 accident aboard ship fatalities occurred aboard fishing vessels. The total of 18 fishing vessel fatalities in 2018 was nearly double the annual average of 9.7 in 2008–2017.^{Footnote 2} Two accident aboard ship fatalities occurred aboard cargo vessels.

Overall, although the number of fishing vessels involved in accidents was lower than the previous year, 12 of the 14 fatal marine accidents (8 shipping accidents and 4 accidents aboard ship) and 18 of the 20 marine fatalities were related to the commercial fishing industry. Clearly, more needs to be done to improve safety in this industry. That is why commercial fishing safety will remain on the TSB Watchlist of key safety issues until more positive change is achieved.

Serious injuries in 2018 totalled 50, up from 47 in 2017 and unchanged from the annual average of 50 in 2008–2017. Forty-five of the 50 serious injuries (90%) resulted from accidents aboard ship.

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Shipping accidents

Type of accident (Table 1)

As illustrated in Figure 3, the most frequent types of shipping accidents in 2018 were collision (35%), grounding (25%), fire/explosion (15%), and sinking (12%). The total number of collisions (82) was 2% more than the prior 10-year average of 81, and the number of groundings (58) was 20% below the 10-year average of 73. The number of sinking accidents (27) was 38% above the 10-year average of 20.

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Type of vessel (Table 1)

Seventy-six fishing vessels (28% of all vessels involved in shipping accidents) were involved in shipping accidents down from 88 in 2017 and from the 2008–2017 average of 99 (Figure 4).

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Geographical region (Table 2)

In 2018, 43% of shipping accidents occurred in the Pacific region, 27% in the Central region, 23% in the Atlantic region, and the remaining 6% of shipping accidents took place in foreign waters.^{Footnote 3} In the Pacific region in 2018, shipping accidents were 3% above the 2008–2017 average, in the Central region shipping accidents were 18% below the 2008–2017 average, and in the Atlantic region shipping accidents were 25% below the 2008–2017 average (Figure 5).

Thirty-six fishing vessels were involved in shipping accidents in the Atlantic region, which is below the 2008–2017 average of 52 fishing vessels. Thirty fishing vessels were involved in shipping accidents in the Pacific region, below the 2008–2017 average of 38 fishing vessels (Table 2).

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Vessel flag (Tables 1, 3, and 4)

In 2018, 85% of the 268 vessels involved in shipping accidents reported to the TSB were Canadian-flag vessels. Of these, 51% were commercial non-fishing vessels and 35% were fishing vessels; the remaining 14% were non-commercial vessels, pleasure craft or service vessels.

According to information provided by Transport Canada, marine activity for Canadian commercial non-fishing vessels over 15 gross tons (grt) (excluding passenger vessels and cruise ships) was 43 353 commercial movements in 2018, which is 47% above the 2008–2017 average.^{Footnote 4} This yields a rate of 2.0 shipping accidents per 1 000 commercial movements in 2018, lower than the prior 10-year average of 2.8.

Kendall's tau-b (τb) correlation coefficient is a nonparametric measure of the strength and direction of association that exists between two variables. Kendall's τb was calculated on the series of occurrence rate values by year from 2008 to 2018. There was a strong, negative correlation that indicates a downward trend in occurrence rate per 1 000 vessel movements over the period (τb = −0.7091, p = 0.0024). Sen's  estimate of slope, the amount of downward rate change per year, was −0.196 occurrences per 1 000 Canadian-flag commercial vessel movements per year (Figure 6).

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According to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), there were an estimated 12 865 active fishing vessels in Canada in 2018. The shipping accident rate for Canadian fishing vessels (Figure 7) decreased from 6.1 shipping accidents per 1 000 active fishing vessels in 2017 to 5.4 in 2018, which is 19% below the prior 10-year average. There has been a strong downward trend in the Canadian fishing vessel shipping accident rate over the last 11 years (τb = −.60, p = .0102), despite persistently high numbers of fatalities in the fishing industry (18 in 2018 compared to the prior 10-year average of 9.7).^{Footnote 5}

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For Canadian-flag fishing vessels, groundings (48%), collisions (17%), and sinkings (13%) were the most frequently reported shipping accident types in 2018. Canadian-flag commercial non-fishing vessels were most often involved in collisions (49%), groundings (16%), or fire/explosion accidents (14%).

In 2018, 41 foreign-flag vessels were involved in shipping accidents in Canadian waters, 31 of which were commercial non-fishing vessels. According to information provided by Transport Canada, marine activity for foreign commercial non-fishing vessels was 27 787 commercial movements in 2018, above the 2008–2017 average of 23 929. This yields an accident rate of 1.0 commercial foreign-flag vessels involved in shipping accidents per 1 000 commercial movements, below the 10-year average of 1.5.

Vessels lost (Tables 1 and 5)

In 2018, 15 vessels were reported lost, up from 12 in 2017, but down from the 2008–2017 average of 22. Twelve of the 15 vessels lost in 2018 were fishing vessels. Eight of the 15 vessels lost were less than 15 grt. During the past 10 years, fishing vessels under 60 grt have accounted for more than 60% of Canadian vessels lost (Tables 1 and 5).

Incidents

Overview of incidents (Tables 1 and 2)

In 2018, 937 marine incidents were reported to the TSB, up from a total of 885 in 2017, and above the annual 10-year (2008–2017) average of 509.^{Footnote 6}

In 2018, incidents in the Atlantic region represented 42% of all marine incidents, followed by 30% in the Central region, and 27% in the Pacific region. The remaining 1% of reported incidents took place in foreign waters.

The majority (78%) of reportable incidents involved the total failure of any machinery or technical system (Figure 8).^{Footnote 7} The Atlantic region saw the largest proportion of these incidents (45%), while the Pacific region had the greatest proportion of incidents involving risk of collision (45%) (data not shown). The type of vessel most often involved in total failure of any machinery or technical systems incidents in 2018 were fishing vessels (55%) and solid cargo vessels (21%) (data not shown).

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Data tables

Definitions

The following definitions apply to marine occurrences that are required to be reported pursuant to the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act and the TSB Regulations.

Marine occurrence

• any accident or incident associated with the operation of a ship and
• any situation or condition that the Board has reasonable grounds to believe could, if left unattended, induce an accident or incident described above.

Marine accident

An accident resulting directly from the operation of a ship other than a pleasure craft, where

Accident aboard ship

• a person is killed or sustains a serious injury as a result of
  • boarding, being on board or falling overboard from the ship, or
  • coming into direct contact with any part of the ship or its contents;

Shipping accident

• the ship
  • sinks, founders or capsizes,
  • is involved in a collision (includes strikings and contacts)
  • sustains a fire or an explosion,
  • goes aground,
  • sustains damage that affects its seaworthiness or renders it unfit for its purpose,
  • is missing or abandoned

Marine incident

• a person falls overboard from the ship,
• makes unforeseen contact with the bottom without going aground,
• fouls a utility cable or pipe, or an underwater pipeline,
• is involved in a risk of a collision,
• sustains a total failure of
  • the navigation equipment if the failure poses a threat to the safety of any person, property or the environment,
  • the main or auxiliary machinery, or
  • the propulsion, steering, or deck machinery if the failure poses a threat to the safety of any person, property or the environment;
• all or part of the ship's cargo shifts or falls overboard; or
• is anchored, grounded or beached to avoid an occurrence,
• a crew member whose duties are directly related to the safe operation of the ship is unable to perform their duties as a result of a physical incapacitation which poses a threat to the safety of persons, property or the environment;
• there is an accidental release on board or from the ship consisting of a quantity of dangerous goods or an emission of radiation that is greater than the quantity or emission levels specified in Part 8 of the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations.

Serious injury

1. a fracture of any bone, except simple fractures of fingers, toes or the nose,
2. lacerations that cause severe hemorrhage or nerve, muscle or tendon damage,
3. an injury to an internal organ,
4. second or third degree burns, or any burns affecting more than 5% of the body surface,
5. a verified exposure to infectious substances or injurious radiation, or
6. an injury that is likely to require hospitalization.

Vessels covered

This report covers commercial vessels that include all vessels either registered or licensed to operate commercially. Pleasure craft occurrences are not normally included unless they also involved a commercial vessel.

Vessel categories

Commercial Vessels: include cargo vessels, ferries, passenger vessels, tugs and barges.

Fishing Vessels: include vessels involved in commercial fishing.

Other Vessels: include research vessels, oil exploration, exploitation and support vessels, government vessels and pleasure craft.

Miscellaneous

Gross tons (grt): A measure of vessel capacity in cubic feet of the spaces within the hull, and of enclosed spaces above deck available for cargo, stores, fuel, passengers and crew, with certain exclusions. One hundred cubic feet is equivalent to one gross ton.

Movement: A vessel's travel segment between ports with at least one port being a domestic port.

Regional limits

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Pacific Region's area of responsibility consists of the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories south of the 70th parallel, as well as the waters adjacent to these provinces and territories.

Central Region's area of responsibility consists of the provinces of Ontario and Quebec (including the Magdalen Islands), the territory of Nunavut, and the Northwest Territories north of the 70th parallel, as well as James Bay, Hudson Bay, the St. Lawrence Seaway, and the Great Lakes waterways up to the Canada–U.S. border.

Atlantic Region's area of responsibility consists of the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as the waters adjacent to these provinces.