MASS UK Industry Conduct Principles and Code of Practice 2022 (V6)

10.4.5 The Risk Assessment shall be able to show that the MASS is able to be operated to a tolerably safe level, ideally
proven to be as safe as an equivalent manned counterpart (i.e. similar size and carrying similar payload / cargo).
10.4.6 The protection measures afforded on a manned MASS, e.g. emergency engine stop in the case of fire, often rely
on a human operator to detect the fault and to trigger the stop mechanism. On MASS, these measures must be
fully automated unless the attendant risk can be otherwise reduced to an acceptable level (e.g. using electric
propulsion, no fuel aboard; nobody on board put at direct risk; etc).
10.6.3 The level at which these may be considered essential depends on the type of MASS and operational conditions,
as indicated in Table 10.1 below. The need should be driven by the necessity to reach equivalent safety levels for
all MASS with their manned counterparts.
Table 10-1: Platform Monitoring
Factor
Impact on need for monitoring
10.4.7 The Risk Assessment shall highlight all potentially critical failure modes which are mitigated using failure sensors
and/or “defence in depth”, dual or multiple redundant safety features, as these need to be identified for the purpose
of test and accreditation of the MASS.
MKE (Mass/Kinetic Energy)
High MKE - > greater need
10.5 SITUATIONAL AWARENESS SENSORS
HAZCHEM (Hazardous substances on board)
Payload integrity / fuel leaks: greater need
10.5.1 Most of the sensors considered in Paragraphs 10.6 and 10.7 may be regarded as optional, but some may be
considered essential on some MASS under certain circumstances; or they may represent the best way to ensure
the necessary levels of safety equivalent to a manned counterpart.
10.5.2 The overall need for monitoring shall depend on the considerations above, being guided specifically by the
outcome of the Risk Assessment.
10.6 INTERNAL SENSORS (PLATFORM MONITORING)
OP-RANGE (Operating range)
Level of Control (See definitions at Ch 2)
Area of Operation (See definitions at Ch 2)
Outside LOS, greater need for monitoring
Appropriate monitoring required for the level of control
in operation
Close to shore and busy seaways, greater need for
monitoring, rapid response. Offshore/Open Ocean,
reduced need, slower response may be acceptable
10.6.1 Internal sensors may be fitted for monitoring the platforms’ vital functions and safety. This may include a monitoring
capability which would normally be provided by crew onboard.
10.6.2 Examples include:
10.6.4 The MASS shall respond to a simultaneous failure (or deliberate interruption) of all critical data links, i.e. those
which can deliver an Emergency Stop command, by applying an Emergency Stop command (i.e. Fail Safe). This
may be considered essential on all MASS.
n Health status of command datalinks, in particular those with the ability to receive an Emergency Stop
command (this may be considered essential);
n Operability and health status of sensors that are identified as vital;
n Operability and health status of on-board systems which govern the ability to control the direction and speed
of movement of the MASS (Heading or COG and STW or SOG);
n Operability and health status of on-board systems such as propulsors, platform control systems, collision
avoidance systems, autopilots, Navigational Systems, servos, communications datalinks, and other internal
sensors which may be needed to maintain platform and mission integrity;
n Onboard audio facilities:
n Remaining fuel;
n Watertight integrity;
n Integrity of the hull (or hulls);
n Structural damage to the overall MASS or its components;
n Entanglement;
n Pitch, roll and heave;
n Vibration;
n Shock.
10.7 EXTERNAL SENSORS AND SOURCES OF DATA
10.7.1 External sensors may be fitted to sense and/or measure the environment, surroundings, navigational data, and
other platforms and systems, which may include, but not be limited to, the following:
n GNSS (Lat/Long), with position integrity provided by Satellite Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS, i.e.
EGNOS in Europe) and/or terrestrial DGNSS beacons, and with the inclusion of a complementary backup
system for resilience against GNSS interference, jamming and spoofing;
n Heading (may be considered essential, unless operated at a range of less than 300m from a manned ground
control station within LOS and capable of commanding Emergency Stop);
n Sea state (may be measured using pitch and roll sensors);
n Wind speed and direction;
n Depth below keel;
n Radar targets, and automatic target tracking;
n Sound signals;
n Visual signals, such as shapes, carried by other vessels or navigational marks;
n VHF capability to receive and transmit messages;
n Relatively small floating objects that may reasonably be expected to be found in the area of operation.
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MASS UK Industry Conduct Principles and Code of Practice Version 6 MASS UK Industry Conduct Principles and Code of Practice Version 6 81