OCIMF’s annual report for 2024 heralds a pivotal moment for the maritime industry with the unveiling of SIRE 2.0, a digitalized and enhanced tanker inspection program set to revolutionize safety protocols.
Preparing industry for SIRE 2.0
Work to roll out OCIMF’s digitalised and enhanced tanker inspection programme SIRE 2.0 progressed successfully through 2023. In recognition that SIRE 2.0 is a significant change for industry and that it is vital industry is fully prepared before SIRE 2.0 becomes the commercial inspection tool, OCIMF took a ‘readiness-based’ approach by rolling out SIRE 2.0 in four phases.
This staggered approach allowed for comprehensive testing and interrogation of the inspection programme and provided opportunities for programme users to prepare for the new regime and the tools, processes, policies and procedures that make it different from the existing SIRE programme. OCIMF is very grateful to vessel operators and crew, programme recipients and submitting companies, inspectors and industry partners for committing considerable time, energy and resources to familisarising themselves with the wealth of SIRE 2.0 training resources and documentation, including providing valuable feedback.
With this positive engagement, Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the transition were undertaken in 2023, with full end-to-end testing completed without any significant issues. OCIMF entered 2024 by activating Phase 3 of the roll–out– industry–wide beta-testing for all programme participants.
..OCIMF stated.
Captain Aaron Cooper, Programmes Director at OCIMF, emphasizes that SIRE 2.0 heralds a pivotal cultural shift in the maritime industry. He stresses that the program’s comprehensive focus on human factors alongside hardware and processes signifies a profound evolution in safety protocols.
A change in mindset for industry
SIRE 2.0 represents a step-change for industry and will affect all sectors involved in the sea transport of crude oil, oil products, petrochemicals and gas. At its core, SIRE 2.0 is designed to obtain a more holistic assessment of the condition of a vessel and its crew on an ongoing basis – helping industry to better identify and understand specific risks, and the root-causes of such risks. By using a digital questionnaire and inspections conducted in real time on tablet devices, the approach under SIRE 2.0 significantly expands the depth and quality of marine assurance data gathered during vessel inspections. This allows for more in-depth reporting outcomes and comprehensive assessments of the quality of a vessel and its crew. How this works is largely down to the significant enhancements being made to the software that underpins the inspection process.
Under SIRE 2.0, the Vessel Inspection Questionnaire (VIQ7) is replaced with a bespoke risk-based Compiled Vessel Inspection Questionnaire (CVIC) comprising questions from an expansive SIRE 2.0 Question Library and vessel particulars. As a result, no two inspections are the same and vessel operators and crew should be prepared to respond to any question within the SIRE 2.0 Question Library. This approach will ensure standards are maintained across the board and areas of most significant risk are promptly identified and addressed.
Making sure the SIRE 2.0 software system is accurate, reliable and easy to use was a key objective of Phases 1 and 2 of the transition in 2023. End-to-end trial inspections, first with the support of the project team/OCIMF Secretariat (Phase 1) then without this support (Phase 2) ensured the software and guidance materials were rigorously tested and, where necessary, adjustments made.
Increased focus on human factors
Increased focus on human factors In SIRE 2.0, one of the other notable enhancements is its focus on human factors, alongside hardware and processes, which enables SIRE 2.0 inspectors to look at the important tasks that people carry out to protect the vessel, its cargo and those onboard. Ensuring all programme users understand and are familiarised with the human factors approach was another area of focus for OCIMF through 2023, with a wealth of training resources and initiatives produced and delivered.
When considering human factors, inspectors will not be assessing the competence of individual crew members, but rather looking for the conditions that make a task hard to do, or that set people up to perform the task successfully. Poorly designed equipment, challenging tasks and difficult working arrangements lead to problems. People will often struggle on and make the best of the conditions they are in, which can lead to mistakes, misjudgments and adaptations resulting in accidents and incidents.
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