TSB Report Cites Equipment Change Risks in Québec Ferry Collision

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has released findings from its investigation into a collision involving the passenger ferry Radisson at the Port of Québec, Quebec, calling for better management of safety risks following changes to shipboard equipment and mandatory passenger safety management training for crew on all passenger vessels. On 18 Oct 2024, as Radisson approached the wharf, bridge personnel noticed the engine control was not responding. The ferry then struck the wharf, injuring four passengers and one crewmember. The investigation traced the incident to a 2023 replacement of the ferry's engine and control system, after which a new procedure was developed for transferring engine control between bridge stations. TSB found the procedure lacked sufficient guidance for crew during the transfer, and the system gave no clear confirmation of whether the transfer had succeeded. A formal risk assessment had previously identified hazards linked to the equipment change, but crew training was the only mitigation implemented, leaving other risks unaddressed. Investigators also identified gaps in passenger safety management, including the absence of realistic emergency drills and no effective warning to passengers before impact, which limited the crew's ability to respond. TSB noted similar shortcomings were found in its investigation of the ferry Sam McBride, after which it recommended Transport Canada require passenger safety management training for crew on all passenger vessels. Since the Radisson incident, the Société des traversiers du Québec, the vessel's owner and operator, has posted transfer procedures at control stations, reconfigured control panels, and added an aural signal indicating an active transfer process.