Transportation Safety Board By-laws

The Board, pursuant to paragraph 8(1)(a) of the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C- 23.4, approves these By-laws respecting the conduct of business at meetings of the Board effective February 1, 2014.

Definitions

  1. In these By-laws:
    • "Board" has the same meaning as in the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act.
    • "Member" has the same meaning as in the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board Act.

Interpretation

  1. In these By-laws, words in the singular include the plural and words in the plural include the singular. Words in the masculine include the feminine and words in the feminine include the masculine.

Application

  1. These By-laws become effective immediately upon their approval by the Board and shall remain in effect until such time as they are repealed or replaced by the Board.

Meetings of the Board

Quorum

  1. The powers, duties and functions of the Board may be exercised at a meeting at which at least one-half of the members in office are present.

Chairing the meetings

  1. The Chairperson, or any Member designated by the Chairperson, shall chair meetings of the Board.

Meetings in camera

  1. Meetings of the Board shall not be open to the public unless the Board specifically decides otherwise. TSB staff may attend meetings of the Board upon approval of the Chairperson.

Decision-making

  1. Any question raised at a meeting of the Board shall be decided by consensus of the Members present wherever possible.
  2. Where consensus is not possible, decisions will be made by a majority of the votes cast on the question by the Members present at the meeting. Where there is an equality of votes, the person chairing the meeting shall have the deciding vote.

Means of participation

  1. A Member may participate in a meeting of the Board from any location by any communication means as long as such means permit all persons participating in the meeting to communicate orally with each other. A Member who participates in a meeting of the Board by any means permitted under this section is deemed to be present at the meeting.

Notice

  1. Meetings of the Board shall be held from time to time and at such place as the Chairperson or the Member designated by the Chairperson may determine, and reasonable notice of such meetings or of adjourned meetings shall be given to all the Members by the Chairperson or the designated Member.

Regular meetings

  1. Once a year the Board shall set the dates for regular Board meetings and these dates shall be recorded in the Board minutes. These minutes shall serve as notice of Board meetings and no other notice shall be required for any such regular meetings.

Recordkeeping

  1. Summary minutes shall be prepared to record all decisions made by the Board during a meeting of the Board. The minutes shall be approved by the Board and retained as official records.

Committees to review investigation reports

Report Review Committees

  1. The Board may establish Committees of its Members to facilitate the conduct of its business to review investigation reports and recommend their approval under section 24 of the CTAISB Act.

Responsibilities and powers

  1. Report Review Committees are responsible for determining who shall be designated reviewers, for conducting detailed reviews of initial draft investigation reports, designated reviewers' comments, and final draft investigation reports.
  2. The Committees have the delegated authority to approve initial draft reports on behalf of the Board for transmittal to the designated reviewers.
  3. The Committees are responsible for recommending final investigation reports for section 24 approval by the Board.
  4. The Committees may exercise the powers of the Board as defined in paragraphs 8(1)(d) to 8(1)(f) of the CTAISB Act with respect to any investigation report under consideration.

Committee members

  1. A Report Review Committee shall be convened for each investigation report to be reviewed. The Committee shall be made-up of between two and five Members. Committee members are selected by the Chairperson, or a delegate, based upon their subject matter expertise and current workload.

Committee procedures

  1. Report Review Committee members are to review each investigation report independently and then come together for a group review.  All discussions are to be held in the presence of all the Committee members who will be sitting on the review.
  2. All discussions with staff on particular reports are to be held with the entire group of Committee members present.

Recordkeeping

  1. Summary minutes shall be prepared by a Member of the Committee to record decisions made by the Committee with respect to the disposition of the report. The Report Review Committee minutes shall be submitted to the Board and retained as official records.