Japan Transport Safety Board - Is it safe?

A national administrative agency established as an external bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism with the purpose of preventing aviation accidents, railway accidents, marine accidents, etc. and mitigating damage when accidents occur (Article 3 of the Japan Transport Safety Board Establishment Act). With the amendment of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Establishment Act in 2008, it was established by reorganizing and integrating the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Commission and the Marine Accident Inquiry Agency's marine accident cause investigation department. Words such as "aviation accidents" include not only accidents but also signs of accidents (Article 2, Paragraphs 2, 4, and 6 of the same Act).

The committee is made up of a chairman and 12 members (five of whom are part-time), who are appointed by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism with the consent of both Houses of the Diet from among those deemed capable of making scientific and fair judgments. The committee may have expert members appointed by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism after hearing the opinions of the committee from among people with academic and practical experience to investigate specialized matters. The committee will also have a secretariat, which will be staffed by accident investigators and other staff.

Accident investigations are conducted by accident investigators appointed by the Japan Transport Safety Board, who collect reports and conduct questioning and inspections (those who make false reports or statements in response to the collection of reports or questions, or who refuse inspections or the submission of items, will be punished), and are concluded after the Japan Transport Safety Board has given those involved in the cause an opportunity to express their opinions. When the Japan Transport Safety Board has completed its investigation of an accident, it must prepare a report that describes the progress of the investigation, the facts that were found, the reasons for finding the facts, and the causes, and submit this to the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and make it public. When it deems it necessary, it may recommend measures to be taken to the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and measures to be taken to those involved in the cause, in order to prevent accidents or reduce damage in the event of an accident.

The Japan Transport Safety Board (Article 3, Paragraph 2 of the National Government Organization Act), an external bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, has the power to enact rules, including those restricting the rights of citizens (Article 13 of the National Government Organization Act), the chairman has the power to make personnel decisions regarding employees (Article 55, Paragraph 1 of the National Public Service Act), and, as mentioned above, can make recommendations directly to those involved in the cause of an accident, rather than through the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, compared to the former Air and Railway Accidents Investigation Commission (Article 8 of the National Government Organization Act), which was an advisory council of the Ministry. Compared to the former commission, the Japan Transport Safety Board is independent of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and its powers have also been strengthened.

[Kazumasa Inaba]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

航空事故等、鉄道事故等および船舶事故等の防止と事故が発生した場合の被害軽減とを目的とする国土交通省の外局として置かれた国の行政機関（運輸安全委員会設置法3条）。2008年（平成20）の国土交通省設置法等の改正により、航空・鉄道事故調査委員会と海難審判庁の船舶事故原因究明部門とを再編統合して設置された。航空事故等といった事故等の語は、事故のみならず事故の兆候を含む語である（同法2条2項、4項、6項）。

　その組織は、委員長および委員12人（委員のうち5人は非常勤）からなり、これらは科学的かつ公正な判断を行うことができると認められる者のうちから、両議院の同意を得て、国土交通大臣が任命する。委員会には、専門の事項を調査させるため、学識経験のある者のうちから委員会の意見を聴いて国土交通大臣が任命する専門委員を置くことができる。また、事務局が置かれ、ここには事故調査官その他の職員が置かれる。

　事故等の調査は、運輸安全委員会から指名された事故調査官が報告の徴取や質問検査などの調査を行い（報告の徴取や質問に対して虚偽の報告や陳述を行った者、検査や物件提出を拒否した者は、処罰される）、運輸安全委員会が原因関係者に対して意見を述べる機会を与えたのちに終了する。運輸安全委員会は、事故等の調査を終えたときは、事故等調査の経過、認定事実、事実を認定した理由および原因を記載した報告書を作成して、これを国土交通大臣に提出するとともに公表しなければならない。そして、必要があると認めるときは、事故等の防止または事故が発生した場合における被害の軽減のため、講ずべき施策については国土交通大臣に対して、講ずべき措置については原因関係者に対して、それぞれ勧告することができる。

　国土交通省の外局である運輸安全委員会（国家行政組織法3条2項）は、同省の審議会であった旧、航空・鉄道事故調査委員会（同法8条）と比べて、国民の権利を制限する内容を含む規則制定権（同法13条）、委員長による職員の人事権（国家公務員法55条1項）を有しており、また上記のように国土交通大臣を介してではなく直接に原因関係者に対して勧告することができる。旧委員会と比較すると、運輸安全委員会は国土交通省から独立しており、その権限も強化されたものといえる。

［稲葉一将］

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