.png?width=200&height=60&name=BMT%20logo%20only%20(RGB%20positive).png "BMT logo")
Maritime Autonomous Ship Systems
Collision Regulation Guide and Code of Practice
The development of Maritime Autonomous Ship Systems (MASS) has continued at a very significant pace over the last few years with more MASS entering operation all the time. Here you can find a link to download version 5 of the Code of Practice and request the guide on Collison Regulation.
MASS Collision Regulation Guide
Using BMT Navigation expertise, the Naval Authority Group, the certifying authority for United Kingdom Ministry of Defence Shipping, have produced an extensive and in-depth guide to the International Regulations for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea (the COLREGs). These are the rules used by mariners to prevent collisions and by maritime lawyers to apportion blame following such accidents. The guide is specifically tailored to the developers, owners and operators of Marine Autonomous Systems and explains the functional requirements of a COLREG compliant system from first principles.
The guide, peer-reviewed by suitably qualified and experienced experts in both the Royal Navy and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, is a first of its kind for marine autonomy. Using these functional requirements, the Naval Authority Group have extracted the rules against which the COLREG compliance of a MAS will be certified as part of a wider certification strategy in which such systems will be tested in an independent synthetic environment.
Contact the BMT Navigation & Seamanship Team to request the Guide.
MASS Industry Code of Practice v5
Version 5 of the UK Maritime Autonomous Systems Regulatory Working Group (MASRWG) Code of Practice (referred to colloquially as 'the Code') has been in production with members and stakeholders from a vast variety of organisations within the Maritime community. This new version of the Code has now been published by Maritime UK through the Society of Maritime Industries.
Key BMT team members have worked with the MASRWG since its infancy, helping with the work they do for the Maritime community, as well as with this most recent version of the Code.
Tom Howe sits within the “Code & Operations” Working Group and has been integral with his contributions to this, the 5th version of the Code.
Chloe Woodger-Smith sits within the “Governance & Regulation” Working Group within her role as Autonomy Technical Lead. This is a key opportunity for collaboration with and contribution to progress in the MASS sector and the wider Maritime Community.
Daniel Nicholls works as the Secretary for the group, aiding with production and printing of the code along with the organisation of the 2021 and 2022 MASRWG Conferences.
Visit the Maritime UK website to download your copy now.
Thomas Howe
Senior Principal Naval Architect
Tom is the Head of Navigation and Seamanship at BMT. He is a former Royal Navy Specialist Navigator, STCW II:2(RN) Master Mariner and trained Accident Investigator with broad experience in both surface and submarine operations and training.
Tom is the Chair of the International Naval Safety Association’s Naval Ship and Submarine Code Seamanship Chapter and Navigation Chapter while also sitting on two British Standards Institute committees. An expert on the International Regulations for the Prevention of Collision at Sea, he is heavily involved with the certification of Autonomous shipping and is a contributing author to the UK MAS Code of Practice. Tom will be speaking on the Certification of autonomous vessels at the 6th Maritime Autonomous Systems Regulatory Working Group Conference, 18-19th January 2022.