The new SIRE 2.0 regime will roll out to industry in a phased approach. Until then, the current SIRE programme will continue to be updated and improved to incorporate the latest standards, best practice and regulations.
The new SIRE 2.0 regime will roll out to industry in a phased approach. Until then, the current SIRE programme will continue to be updated and improved to incorporate the latest standards, best practice and regulations.
Developed alongside industry and the OCIMF membership, the new and updated Ship Inspection Report Programme, SIRE 2.0, will future proof the tanker inspection process in line with evolving risks, technology and expertise. The digitalised inspection programme will transform how inspections are conducted and will support industry efforts to continuously enhance safety.
Until then, the current SIRE programme will continue to be updated and improved to incorporate the latest standards, best practice and regulations. Learn more about the existing SIRE Programme here.
Watch the animation video below on SIRE 2.0
Find out more about the key changes to the inspection process and reporting outcomes delivered through the digitalised, updated and enhanced SIRE 2.0 tanker inspection regime in the factsheets below.
The SIRE 2.0 inspection process will differ in many ways from the existing SIRE programme. It is essential that all Programme Participants, Programme Recipients, Vessel Operators and Inspectors familiarise with the below documentation.
This overview indicates which guidance documents are applicable to each programme user group, but it is advisable to review all documents for full familiarisation.
This guidance document provides comprehensive instructions and essential information for all SIRE 2.0 participants, including submitting companies, vessel operators, inspectors, and programme recipients. It outlines the key policies, procedures, and processes.
This document provides advice on using tablets ergonomically, including images of how to carry tablets and accessories, guidance on mitigating identified ergonomic risk factors, and potential solutions to these issues.
This easy-to-use Excel spreadsheet provides insight into each task and compares VIQ7 and SIRE 2.0 procedures. It also includes useful links to guidance documentation.
This document provides clear guidance and rules for the use of the Tablet Camera and Voice Recorder.
The document’s purpose is to guide submitting companies on best practices for reviewing and validating SIRE 2.0 draft inspection reports prior to their publication in the SIRE 2.0 programme database.
General and SIRE 2.0
Does SIRE 2.0 include barges and offshore vessels?
What is OCIMF doing to ensure that vessel operators and vessel's crew are prepared for SIRE 2.0?
If the average number of inspections are hoped to be reduced, how many inspections per vessel per year is envisaged under the new regime?
What will the interval of the inspections be now with SIRE 2.0?
What is required to ensure flawless data integration from SIRE 2.0 to a member company's system?
Will new system have question risk ratings?
Has OCIMF provided a gap analysis between VIQ7 and SIRE 2.0?
If there are variable questionnaires for the same vessel, how would this be seen as a consistent measure against each vessel? How will companies benchmark vessel performance or analyse trends related to findings/areas of concern when the inspection questions set will be different for each inspection.
Can OCIMF expand on the human factor enhancements in SIRE 2.0?
Are there any plans to enforce the rest hours for the inspectors under SIRE 2.0, especially in cases where there is extensive travel required for inspections?
Is SIRE 2.0 more of an Audit rather than an Inspection?
Will the risk-based nature of the SIRE 2.0 programme result in different vessels being inspected to different standards?
What is the role of Quality Assessors and what experience, and training will be required to be a Quality Assessor?
What will OCIMF do to help Programme Recipients with the SIRE 2.0 IT integration?
Do vessel operators need to install any new software in their office to be able to participate in the SIRE 2.0 Programme?
Are psychological characteristics of SIRE inspectors assessed during the pre-accreditation process and are there specific expectations that would affect their final assessment?
Will OCIMF provide industry benchmarking on inspection and ranking of negative observations or any similar picture?
Has test data been sent out to Third Party Vetting Contractors?
With all the new technology and demands on the inspector, what is the added cost to the operator for a SIRE Inspection?
Will OCIMF streamline the upload of information (Certificates. Photos and PIQ Data) to avoid unnecessary overload and burden on the vessel operators?
What is OCIMF doing to ensure a consistent quality of inspections in all areas of the world?
Are the same questions always assigned to an inspection or is there a dynamic element to the inspection?
Will the SIRE 2.0 programme affect how vessel operators and report recipients use Q88?
How does OCIMF ensure that the same rotational questions are not assigned to a vessel at each successive inspection?
Will EBIS inspectors be capable of rating a SIRE 2.0 inspection report without any training on SIRE 2.0?
Will the inspector require access to the vessel Wi-Fi network?
Will inspectors need access to superintendent inspection reports and comprehensive specialised audit reports?
Will SIRE 2.0 provide vessel operators with a standard root cause analysis tool when providing their response to negative observations?
Does the SIRE 2.0 Programme make comprehensive specialised audits for engineering, navigation, cargo operations and mooring and anchoring operations mandatory?
Considering that the SIRE 2.0 Programme will require more work by vessel and office staff to prepare for an inspection and the final report will have enhanced content, will the frequency of inspections remain the same?
Will providing the inspector with the list of open defects automatically result in a negative observation for each piece of defective equipment reported?
Will a SIRE 2.0 report that is acceptable to one report recipient be acceptable to all report recipients?
Will OCIMF be harmonising the frequency of inspections under the SIRE 2.0 Programme?
Will Tanker Management and Self Assessment (TMSA) be aligned with SIRE 2.0 in the future?
Will the SIRE 2.0 Programme bow tie analysis and the inspection compiler be able to recognise common issues across similar type of vessels in the industry or an operator’s fleet and assign questions to an inspection to probe any concerns?
Will the existing SIRE VIQ7 questionnaire be used for any part of a SIRE 2.0 inspection?
Tablets / Hardware / Software
What is the printer requirement for printing the observation declaration at the end of the inspection?
Why is Mopria Print Service already installed on the SIRE 2.0 Tablet?
Which printers are compatible with Mopria Print Service?
Why are devices greyed out in the printer device list?
How do I monitor print jobs and view the print queue?
How do I cancel a print job?
How do I connect using Wi-Fi Direct?
What is the expected lifespan of the isafe tablet battery?
Will Inspectors be provided with a way to safely carry the tablets? Will there be a bag to accommodate the tablets?
Is the tablet being provided with a pen for touchscreen purposes?
Will OCIMF provide a bluetooth keyboard and mouse with the tablet?
What happens if the inspector loses or damages a the supplied tablet?
If tablet crashes in the middle of the inspection, does the tablet save whatever is recorded at that point of time?
Who pays for the tablet?
What condition types can the selected tablet operate under?
In cold weather battery life is considerably reduced, does the tablet come with a spare battery?
How will the tablets be protected against the risk of cyber-attacks?
Is the completion of the questionnaire done in offline mode or is this via 4/5G? If by 4G/5G would this not be a large amount of data?
Will OCIMF be providing details of the tablet used during the SIRE 2.0 inspection process and will a vessel be required to provide any hardware for use by the inspector?
Pre-Inspection
Is all the required information from the operator going to be entered prior to the booking code being issued?
How much longer do you expect the booking process to take, given the additional information which will be required?
What is the timeframe for a CVIQ to be submitted before the vessel is attended by the inspector?
Will inspectors be able to see the previous inspections on the vessel to be inspected?
Is this system going to change the way inspections are scheduled or will things be issued the same way they currently are?
Will the inspection be assigned to the individual inspector or to the inspecting company who employs the inspector?
Will HVPQ be revised to accommodate new operators, updates, or vessel data i.e., standard photos included in the HVPQ?
Can multiple inspection requests be accepted at once or one after another? How will inspectors be allocated under SIRE 2.0?
What notice is required to change the inspector if he/she cannot attend?
Will the vessel have a copy of the SIRE 2.0 question set prior to the inspector visiting the vessel?
Is it mandatory for the vessel operator to upload the standard set of vessel photographs before a SIRE 2.0 inspection?
When will vessel operators be able to upload photographs, certificates and their responses to the pre-inspection questionnaire (PIQ), how much time will be allowed to submit this information, and how often should this information be refreshed?
Will a Compiled Vessel Inspection Questionnaire (CVIQ) be available to operators prior to an inspection?
Will the negative observations from the last inspection be provided to an inspector and what will they do with that information?
Will Conditional Questions based on vessel’s operational history and TMSA submissions of the operator be published similar to the SIRE VIQ 7?
How long before a scheduled inspection will the inspector have access to the compiled vessel inspection questionnaire (CVIQ) and how soon should a vessel operator provide the certificates, photos, and answers to the pre-inspection questionnaire?
How much extra work will the SIRE 2.0 programme generate for vessel crew and the office staff when preparing for an inspection?
Inspection
How much time will be needed for the inspection or how much time will be allowed?
How will you define the timing used for the inspection on the new SIRE 2.0 app, time for preparation and app time used on board for the actual inspection?
Is there flexibility in the system to account for last-minute delays or issues that require inspectors to be switched at short notice?
Does the tablet need to be online throughout the inspection?
Are inspectors required to answer all questions during inspection on board with comments?
Will SIRE 2.0 be applicable with the remote inspections programme?
Masters and Chief Engineers are tasked with doing Performance (Human Factor) Reviews after contract completion of 2 to 6 months. Is OCIMF asking SIRE inspectors to do this after an 8-hour inspection?
With 2.0, will the Vessel’s Senior Management Team have the opportunity to challenge any observation(s) before it is uploaded on the platform? How will SIRE 2.0 allow for discussion of observations prior to finalisation of the report?
Can the inspector record an interview with the crew during the inspections?
Will inspections still be possible in the offshore environment, STS etc?
Will an inspector verify random actual certificates when aboard?
What is the contingency in case that vessel does not have a Wi-Fi printer or because cyber security tablet cannot connect to print report?
Will the inspector be able to add questions to the compiled vessel inspection questionnaire (CVIQ) if they see a concern that is not covered by a core or rotational question assigned to the inspection?
Will an inspector request crew to perform specific tasks or will they only observe the tasks being undertaken as part of the normal work of the vessel during the inspection?
We often see even the capable officers get overwhelmed by nervousness during inspections. Will SIRE 2.0 help addressing this to some extent?
Can the vessel and inspector record the verbal questions asked by an inspector and the responses by the crew respectively?
Are night-time and non-discharging inspections acceptable under SIRE 2.0?
Will the inspection report be completed as the inspection is carried out onboard, and uploaded automatically?
When will the inspection report be available to the Submitting Company, Vessel Pperator and then published on the OCIMF SIRE database?
Are vessel operators able to give feedback on the inspector who has conducted and inspection onboard their vessel?
Will the Performance Influencing Factor (PIF) result in inspectors making "suggestions" and noting them as "observations"?
Bearing in mind there will be several answers to (or ways to approach) questions asked by an inspector during an inspection, how will OCIMF assure that an inspector will not consider an answer inappropriate just because it is not what they want to hear or is not how they would have performed the task?
Today the emphasis in closing meetings is mostly about KPIs on number of observations. How will SIRE 2.0 change this perception?
Post-Inspection / Report Writing
Will there be a facility for recording observations on a topic not covered, i.e., a catch all question for entire chapters?
Presumably, operators would still be required to respond to observations raised in a SIRE 2.0 inspection. Is there any proposal to involve the inspector concerned in reviewing the responses?
Will there be the possibility to amend observations and comments after the report has been saved?
If a paper-based system is used as alternate mode of inspection, how will inspectors transfer/submit the report? Would inspectors have to re-type everything back on the tablet?
Can two or more ship inspection reports be run in parallel?
Must the report be completed and submitted onboard?
With the tablet and writing the responses onboard - will there no longer be a requirement to write the report afterwards?
Since most of the report will be completed by the end of the physical inspection, the inspector will only need to add any detail that had not been entered during the inspection and conduct an accuracy check after they leave the vessel.
How long will a SIRE 2.0 inspection report remain valid for? Will it be more than six months and, if so, would this be implemented by OCIMF to be valid for all OCIMF members?
Will SIRE 2.0 include a selectable list of immediate and root causes for assisting the operators in responding to observations and for purposes of data mining?
What about inspections that due to vessel port stay restrictions must be completed during night-time?
Will operators have access to pictures and comments made by the inspector during the inspection?
Will the master be able to add comments to the tablet during the closing meeting?
How long will a vessel operator have to provide their comments to a SIRE 2.0 inspection before the final report is published?
Do OCIMF or any SIRE 2.0 submitting companies require that an inspector records a minimum number of positive observations during a SIRE 2.0 inspection?
How will OCIMF consider the number of observations from a SIRE 2.0 inspection considering that there will be an increase under SIRE 2.0?
Can one defect or deficiency lead to more than one negative observation under SIRE 2.0?
It is understood that SIRE 2.0 inspectors can record “positive human based observations”, are these only possible under the human response tool or is this option available under hardware and process response tools as well?
Will human factor comments now be required only for observations raised or for all comments included in the report?
Who will review the quality of a SIRE 2.0 inspection report before it is published and how will this be done?
Inspector Training and Accreditation
For the existing SIRE programme, the inspector is subject to a physical audit every 3 years. With SIRE 2.0, will this process remain the same?
Have those inspectors who have finished Transition Training been asked to carry out present SIRE as per SIRE 2.0?
Photographs
Is there an expectation that photographs are to be uploaded every time before the SIRE 2.0 inspection?
What happens if latest photos are not available at the time of the booking?
Can an inspector use the inspection tablet to take photographs and record video clips?
Why does a vessel operator have to upload photographs when an inspector could take them during an inspection?
Will OCIMF provide clear guidance for the standard set of photographs required for each vessel?
Will a vessel operator see all photographs taken by the inspector during an inspection?
Has OCIMF developed any guidance for inspectors to ensure that photographs taken during inspections do not violate privacy and security concerns?
Who will have access to the photographs used in the SIRE 2.0 Programme?
Why not use the SIRE 2.0 Programme and the opportunity to add photographs to an inspection report to share best practices?
Will photographs be required for each negative observation?
Terminals
What if a terminal does not allow electronic equipment?
Will inspectors receive letters of authorisation to use the tablets and take photographs?
What is OCIMF doing to ensure that the intrinsically safe tablets used in the SIRE 2.0 Programme will be acceptable in ports and terminals around the world?
SIRE 2.0
Certificate Repository
Compiled Vessel Inspection Questionnaire (CVIQ)
Harmonised Vessel Particulars Questionnaire (HVPQ)
Inspection Compiler
Inspection Declaration
Inspection Editor
Inspection Tablet
Performance Influencing Factors
Photograph Repository
Pre-inspection Questionnaire (PIQ)
Question types
SIRE 2.0 Question Library
SIRE Report Database