The FAA is rolling out its new congressionally mandated Voluntary Safety Reporting Program (VSRP) for the engineers, safety inspectors, system safety specialists, and other employees in its aviation safety organization. The announcement last week follows the release of an order earlier this year that detailed the VSRP.
In the sweeping consolidated appropriations and Covid-19 relief bill passed late last year, Congress called on the FAA to establish the program for the agency’s aviation safety organization, as well as implement numerous other whistleblower protections and some certification reforms. These measures were in response to the many reviews of the agency’s certification activities that followed the Boeing Max crashes.
The VSRP enables FAA aviation safety workers to confidentially report safety concerns without fear of punitive action. Information submitted to the system will be used to validate or verify concerns, identify root causes, and seek corrective actions, the agency said, maintaining that “an open, non-punitive, and confidential reporting system allows the agency to address safety-sensitive issues that may otherwise have gone unnoticed due to fear of repercussion.”
About 7,400 professionals work for the aviation safety organization, providing oversight for air carriers, manufacturers, maintenance providers, aviation medical practitioners, and flight crews.
“We can never be satisfied with the status quo when it comes to safety, and the free exchange of vital information is a cornerstone of safety and continual improvement,” said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson. “We want our employees to know that when they speak up, they can be sure someone is listening.”
Noting that the risk of fatal accidents has decreased 94 percent since 1998, the FAA credits voluntary reporting programs with playing an integral role in that improvement. The agency worked alongside union leaders in helping to structure the program to encourage safety sharing, it said.
“The more we can continue to encourage people to report, the more we can influence the safety in the system,” said Paul Rinaldi, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, which represents engineers and other aviation safety employees.