Preliminary hazard analysis of a small harbor passenger ferry – results, challenges and further work

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), is currently designing a small autonomous passenger ferry for up to 12 passengers. The ferry will bridge a harbor channel in Trondheim, Norway. This paper presents the results of the preliminary hazard analysis conducted in the early design phase of the ferry. The main hazards and envisioned risk reduction measures are associated with software failure, failure of communication system, both internal and external, traffic in the channel, especially kayaks, passenger handling, and monitoring, and weather conditions. In addition, this paper summarizes practical challenges encountered in the ferry project. These challenges are related to available hazard and risk analysis methods and data, determining and establishing an equivalent safety level, and some of the prescriptive regulations currently in use by the Norwegian Maritime Authority. The presented analysis and identified challenges may assist other, similar projects designing and developing autonomous vessels.