A confidential incident reporting system is a mechanism which allows problems in safety-critical fields such as

aviation Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot air ...

and

medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...

to be reported

in confidence Confidentiality involves a set of rules or a promise usually executed through confidentiality agreements that limits the access or places restrictions on certain types of information. Legal confidentiality By law, lawyers are often required ...

. This allows events to be reported which otherwise might not be reported through fear of

blame Blame is the act of censuring, holding responsible, or making negative statements about an individual or group that their actions or inaction are socially or morally irresponsible, the opposite of praise. When someone is morally responsible for ...

or reprisals against the reporter. Analysis of the reported incidents can provide insight into how those events occurred, which can spur the development of measures to make the system safer.

Examples

The

Aviation Safety Reporting System The Aviation Safety Reporting System, or ASRS, is the United States of America, US Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) voluntary confidential reporting system that allows pilots, air traffic controllers, cabin crew, dispatchers, maintenance te ...

, created by the US aviation industry in 1976, was one of the earliest confidential reporting systems. The International Confidential Aviation Safety Systems Group is an umbrella organization for confidential reporting systems in the airline industry. Other examples include: *

CIRAS CIRAS can mean: * Combat Integrated Releasable Armor System, a modular protective vest designed for US Special Operations Forces * Confidential Incident Reporting & Analysis System, a confidential safety reporting service for transport and infra ...

, (Confidential Incident Reporting and Analysis System), the confidential reporting system for the British railway industry *

CHIRP A chirp is a signal in which the frequency increases (''up-chirp'') or decreases (''down-chirp'') with time. In some sources, the term ''chirp'' is used interchangeably with sweep signal. It is commonly applied to sonar, radar, and laser system ...

, (Confidential Human Factors Incident Reporting Programme / Confidential Hazardous Incident Reporting Programme) a confidential reporting system for the British aviation and maritime industries *

CROSS A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a sa ...

(Confidential Reporting on Structural Safety), a confidential reporting system for the structural and civil engineering industry It has been suggested that medical organizations also adopt the confidential reporting model. Examples of confidential reporting in medicine include CORESS, a confidential reporting system for surgery in the United Kingdom.

Examples

References

See also