Services provided by CHIRP

This Information Notice describes services provided by CHIRP – the Confidential Human Factors Incident Reporting Programme – that are now available for the whole aviation community based in or passing through the United Kingdom.

The full range of services provided by CHIRP is described in an Aeronautical Information Circular (AIC) P 034/2020. This AIC describes a programme that now invites reports from drone operators, aircraft ground handling and support staff, air display participants and organisers and aerodrome security staff in addition to those engaged in commercial air transport and general aviation (non-commercial and commercial), air traffic control and flight information services, aircraft maintenance and cabin crew.

CHIRP’s role is to provide an independent, voluntary confidential reporting programme that complements the mandatory air accident and safety reporting schemes managed by national and safety risk reporting organisations. This enables any person who is engaged in safety- or security-related activities in the UK or in a UK-registered aircraft that is operating outside the UK to submit reports in confidence:

• When that person is concerned and wishes to protect his/her identity
• When he/she wishes others to benefit from a valuable ‘Lesson learned’
• When other reporting procedures are not appropriate or are not available
• When company or regulatory reporting procedures have been exhausted without the issue having been addressed

Reports may be sent to CHIRP by using any of the means described on the CHIRP website: www.chirp.co.uk.

Reports may also be submitted using the free CHIRP smartphone and tablet App that can be found in the App Store (Apple products) and from Google Play (Android devices) by searching using the words ‘CHIRP’ and ‘Safety’.

All reports received by CHIRP are treated in confidence. This is possible because CHIRP, having been established as a Charitable Trust, is independent of its sponsors and all other organisations. Reports are disidentified before the issues they contain are discussed with any third parties; this includes the CHIRP Advisory Boards whose members bring expertise from across the industry Some reports describe ‘near miss’ incidents that when published (with the reporter’s prior consent) may help others avoid similar risks. Some issues need to be brought to the attention of persons or organisations who may be best placed to resolve them, and yet others may be answered by comments offered by the Advisory Boards. After a report has been resolved, each reporter is informed and his/her name and contact details deleted or otherwise destroyed.

CHIRP does not replace employers’ Safety Management Systems that reporters should always consider using before contacting CHIRP, but the programme offers a confidential alternative as described above.

CHIRP publishes FEEDBACK newsletters containing selections of reports together with comments or advice that describe, where possible, how issues have been These free newsletters can be accessed and downloaded via the website and Apps described above. Alternatively, to be added to CHIRP’s e-mail distribution list, contact CHIRP at mail@chirp.co.uk.

Since its introduction in 1982, CHIRP has sought to capture those incidents that do not meet the criteria for mandatory reporting but contain significant human-factors elements. Incidents reported to CHIRP can be used to inform organisations on safety and security matters about which they may not otherwise be aware. The benefits of capturing such issues is widely recognised and why the aviation programme has the support of influential organisations and committed individuals in the UK.

The continued success of CHIRP in capturing ‘near miss’ events depends upon the quality and content of the reports it receives, and the programme now welcomes reports from all who are engaged in aviation in the United Kingdom.