Rules governing workboats, pilot boats and remotely operated vessels have been revised and remade to support innovation in industry.

The revised Merchant Shipping (Workboats, Pilot Boats and Remotely Operated Unmanned Vessels) Regulations 2022 and accompanying Code is now going out for consultation across the industry.

It is felt the new version of the Code will help clarify the survey and inspection requirements and also addresses the growing autonomous vessel industry. Existing rules did not reflect those and other developments which is why the regulations and Code have been revised.

Rob Taylor, Code Vessel Lead for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said: “We don’t compromise on safety. It’s as simple as that, so the safety underpinning these regulations will not change.

“However, we needed to reflect the fact that there is innovation happening right across the industry and we want to support that with appropriate regulations and guidelines. That’s led to this work to provide a clear framework so that vessel owners and operators can continue to operate in confident that they are fulfilling their legal obligations.”

The consultation is due to last 12 weeks and can be found on gov.uk.