Raising the Bar on Maritime Safety: Why Engineers Should Know About CHIRP

The Society of Maritime Industries is highlighting the vital role of CHIRP Maritime, the UK’s independent and confidential safety reporting programme, in strengthening safety culture across the sector.

CHIRP Maritime provides a trusted route for seafarers, marine engineers, port personnel and others to report safety concerns, near-misses and human-factors issues without fear of reprisal. The charity’s independence and strict confidentiality make it a valuable complement to statutory reporting, particularly for early warning signs that may not meet the threshold for formal investigation but still signal underlying risk.

Reports received by CHIRP are anonymised, analysed by subject matter experts and used to share lessons learned across industry. This helps prevent incidents, improve operational practices and support a safer working environment for those at sea and ashore.

What engineers should do if they need to report

• Visit the CHIRP Maritime website and submit a confidential report through the online portal. 

• Provide a personal email address so you can access the secure reporting link and add follow-up details if required.

• Focus on safety and human-factors issues, such as equipment design flaws, maintenance concerns, communication failures, unclear procedures or unsafe working practices.

• Continue to meet any mandatory reporting obligations; CHIRP is an additional and supportive route, not a replacement.

SMI encourages engineers and technical staff across the maritime supply chain to make use of CHIRP’s confidential reporting system. Early reporting strengthens the whole industry’s ability to learn, adapt and prevent harm.