Assessment rating guide

Responses to recommendations are assessed based on the extent to which the underlying safety deficiency has been or is being addressed. The acceptance or understanding of a deficiency is not a criterion for the assessment rating. The assessment criterion is the potential or actual effectiveness of action planned or taken to reduce or eliminate the deficiency.

Assessment categories for responses to Board recommendations

Five categories are used to assess responses:

  1. A Fully Satisfactory rating is assigned if the action taken will substantially reduce or eliminate the safety deficiency. An acceptable alternative course of safety action to the one suggested by the recommendation may have been taken.
  2. A Satisfactory Intent rating is assigned if the planned action, when fully implemented, will substantially reduce or eliminate the safety deficiency. However, for the present, the action has not been sufficiently advanced to reduce the risks to transportation safety. The TSB will monitor the progress of the implementation of the planned actions and will reassess the deficiency on an annual basis or when otherwise warranted.
  3. A Satisfactory in Part rating is assigned if the planned action or the action taken will reduce but not substantially reduce or eliminate the deficiency. The TSB will follow up with the respondent as to options that could further mitigate the risks associated with the deficiency. The TSB will reassess the deficiency on an annual basis or when otherwise warranted.
  4. An Unsatisfactory rating is assigned if no action has been taken or proposed that will reduce or eliminate the deficiency. This rating applies to situations where, in the Board's view, the safety deficiency will continue to put persons, property or the environment at risk. In such a situation, the TSB should reassess the statement of the deficiency and pursue the issue with the respondent, in the hope of acquiring additional convincing information. The TSB will reassess the deficiency on an annual basis or when otherwise warranted.
  5. An Unable to Assess rating is assigned if no response has been received to the recommendation or if the response received does not contain sufficient details to enable the Board to make a meaningful determination on whether the safety deficiency will be reduced or eliminated. The TSB will follow-up with the respondent to seek a more comprehensive response and will reassess the deficiency on an annual basis or when otherwise warranted.

Status of the recommendations

Recommendations can be assigned one of three status designations as follows:

  • Inactive: The assessment determines that the safety deficiency is rectified (Fully Satisfactory) or the residual risk is relatively low.
  • Active: The assessment determines that the residual risk associated with the deficiency is sufficient to warrant continued TSB involvement.
  • Dormant: The assessment determines that:
    • no further action is planned to be taken and continued re-assessment will not likely yield further results; or,
    • any further action would be the responsibility of a third party outside the direct influence of the recommendation recipient (e.g. ICAO, IMO, FAA, FRA); or,
    • the deficiency file recommendation has been superseded by a subsequent recommendation.

Dormant recommendations will not be re-assessed on a regular basis. A dormant recommendation may move to inactive status if the Board determines, on an ad hoc basis, that action has been taken which significantly reduces the residual risk.