SIRE 2.0 inspections explained: what changed and how to prepare your tankers

What is a SIRE 2.0 inspection?

A SIRE 2.0 inspection is carried out by an OCIMF-accredited inspector on behalf of a submitting company, usually an oil major or charterer. The report goes into the SIRE database, where programme recipients use it in their own vetting decisions.

It applies to ships over 150 gross tonnes carrying oil, chemicals, gas or liquefied gas in bulk. OCIMF is clear that it is an inspection, not an audit. The inspector:

• inspects structure, machinery and equipment;
• interviews officers and ratings to confirm they can do their duties safely and in line with company procedures;
• reviews procedures where needed, to confirm they exist and the crew know them.

What changed from SIRE (VIQ7) to SIRE 2.0?

SIRE 2.0 replaced a fixed questionnaire with a ship-specific one, and simple yes/no answers with graded responses that separate equipment, procedures and people.

OCIMF also aligned the guidance with TMSA, so many questions test whether the company's own oversight works, not only whether the ship looks right.

What is the SIRE 2.0 Pre-Inspection Questionnaire (PIQ)?

The PIQ is a questionnaire the operator completes before every SIRE 2.0 inspection. It records recent operational history and some static data, and the compiler uses it with the HVPQ to choose the questions for the CVIQ.

The PIQ, HVPQ, certificate repository and photograph repository are "living" records the operator can update at any time. When the operator signs the pre-inspection declaration, a snapshot is taken and the CVIQ goes to the inspector's tablet. In practice:

• OCIMF expects the declaration at least 48 hours before the inspection, so the inspector can review the material before boarding.
• PIQ data inserted into the report cannot be corrected once the declaration is signed.
• Some PIQ answers trigger conditional questions. If a declaration is inaccurate, the conditional question can lead to a negative observation.
• The PIQ asks whether navigational assessments and comprehensive cargo, engineering and mooring audits were done in the previous 12 or 24 months. OCIMF does not make them mandatory, but if you declare one, expect a question asking for the report on board, the dates and voyage stages covered, and the assessor's qualifications.

Treat the PIQ as a formal company statement, owned by the vetting manager or DPA.

How does the SIRE 2.0 question library work?

The Question Library is the full pool from which each CVIQ is drawn. OCIMF risk-ranked every question using bowtie models and tagged it by ship type, outfitting and the HVPQ and PIQ answers that make it applicable.

OCIMF's Question Programming Attributes file (version 2.0, January 2023) lists 385 top-level questions in chapters 2 to 12: 101 core, 96 rotational 1 and 188 rotational 2. Question types:

• Core: asked at every inspection where relevant to the ship. Hours of rest (3.4.1), defect reporting (2.4.1) and ECDIS operation (4.1.1) are examples.
• Rotational: lower-risk questions spread unpredictably across inspections.
• Campaign: asked at every inspection for a set period after an incident or trend.
• Conditional: triggered by HVPQ or PIQ answers.

The compiler ignores past inspection results, but negative observations on core questions are shown to the next inspector. Each question sets out its objective, regulation and TMSA references, suggested inspector actions, expected evidence and potential grounds for a negative observation. Unless stated otherwise, evidence covers the last six months or since the last SIRE inspection, whichever is more recent. Those lists are the closest thing to an official SIRE 2.0 checklist.

What are SIRE 2.0 human factors questions?

Human factors questions test whether officers and ratings can actually carry out a task as the procedure intends. The inspector observes it, or asks the person to explain or demonstrate it, and grades the result:

1. Execution of task exceeded normal expectations (a positive observation).
2. Execution of task was as expected.
3. Execution of task was largely as expected.
4. Execution of task was not as expected (a negative observation).

For anything other than "as expected", the inspector tags one or more Performance Influencing Factors: recognition of safety-critical steps, custom and practice, usable procedures, team communication, stress, workload and fatigue, morale and nervousness, ergonomics, the human-machine interface, and opportunities to practise. Observations are tagged to a rank group, not a named person.

This is not an appraisal, and OCIMF recognises nervousness as a PIF. Preparation should build confidence through practice, not scripted answers.

How are SIRE 2.0 observations recorded?

In SIRE 2.0 an observation is any response the inspector enters: positive, neutral or negative. Each question carries one or more response tools.

Each negative observation is coded with a Subject of Concern and a Nature of Concern, so recipients can analyse a fleet. One condition can produce observations under several questions where each addresses a different barrier; OCIMF says this is not "double dipping".

Under core question 2.4.1 the Master gives the inspector a list of open defects at the opening meeting. A defect properly recorded with mitigation in place is not, by itself, grounds for a negative observation there. A defect missing from the system will be recorded, as will defects that should have been reported to class or flag.

How do photographs work in SIRE 2.0?

The operator uploads a standard photo set (hull, forecastle, mooring winch, manifold, lifeboat, engine room, steering gear and type-specific items). The inspector compares each with the ship and grades it from "representative" to "not representative".

OCIMF recommends a new set about every six months, ideally before each inspection. Photos must represent all similar areas; painting one winch for the photo while the others rust is exactly what OCIMF warns against. Inspectors can also take photos with the tablet.

What happens after the inspection?

At the closing meeting the inspector reviews negative observations with the Master, who can produce evidence that may change them. Once the submitting company validates the report, the operator has 14 days to comment on each negative observation, by immediate cause, root cause, corrective action and preventive action. The report stays available for 12 months. Recipients read the comments as evidence of how the office manages findings, so base them on a real investigation.

How should operators prepare the fleet for SIRE 2.0?

Preparation means making the ship, crew and paperwork match what the company says it does:

1. Map the Question Library to your SMS. Confirm each applicable question has a current procedure that matches what the crew actually do.
2. Get the PIQ, HVPQ and certificates right. Check every declaration against records and keep them current, not rushed before a booking.
3. Refresh the photo set honestly, about every six months.
4. Clean up defect reporting, with mitigation recorded and class or flag notified where required.
5. Prepare the crew for interviews. Let officers explain and demonstrate tasks in their own words, especially for core questions.
6. Check records against reality. Inspectors compare logs, checklists and rest records with what the ship did; see our hours of rest guide.
7. Run a pre-vetting inspection while there is still time to fix what it finds.
8. Close the loop ashore. Trend observations and fix the procedure or training behind repeat findings.

What are the common SIRE 2.0 gaps?

Most negative observations trace back to a gap between the written procedure and the job as done. Check these first:

• procedures that are generic, outdated or describe equipment the ship does not have;
• officers who cannot explain a procedure they sign checklists for;
• defects known on board but not entered in the defect system;
• PIQ or HVPQ declarations that do not match the records;
• photos that flatter the ship;
• hours of rest records that do not match logbooks for a busy port call;
• shore management not reviewing or acting on ship reports, such as monthly rest hour non-conformities.

Where do pre-vetting inspections, sailing audits and SMS alignment help?

Each closes a different gap. A pre-vetting inspection tests ship and crew against SIRE 2.0 questions before the real inspector arrives. A sailing audit observes navigation, mooring and cargo work underway, which a port inspection cannot see. SMS alignment makes sure the procedures the inspector reads are ones the crew can follow.

Synergetic has carried out more than 550 sailing audits and pre-vetting inspections. Synergetic's sailing audit reports line up with OCIMF's Guide to Best Practice for Navigational Assessments and Audits, the reference that question 3.2.3 checks against, alongside the company's own audit criteria and Synergetic's own experience. If you run your own internal inspections and want to trend findings across the fleet, see Inspect X7 and HSEQ X7, the inspection and HSEQ modules of Marine X7.

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