OCIMF reflects on first year of SIRE 2.0

The Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) has reported on the first year of SIRE 2.0, marking 12 months since the updated ship inspection report programme was  fully launched. Introduced on 2 September 2024, SIRE 2.0 replaced the paper-based VIQ7 system following a phased roll-out.

According to OCIMF, more than 22,000 inspections have been carried out in 2,100 ports by 460 accredited inspectors. Only 0.2% of inspections required the use of the paper-based contingency in the past year.

“SIRE 2.0 represents one of the most significant evolutions in our industry’s approach to safety assurance,” said OCIMF managing director Karen Davis. “Its success over the past year is a direct result of meaningful collaboration between members, operators, inspectors and our technical teams,” she said.

“We are proud of what we’ve achieved together and are fully committed to ensuring the programme continues to reflect industry’s needs,” she added.

The organisation has set priorities for the second year of operation. These include using data insights to strengthen safety advocacy and industry guidance, expanding inspector training to ensure inspection quality, and integrating data with guidance to help identify and mitigate risks earlier.

OCIMF said it will continue engaging with users to support learning and best-practice sharing.
There has also been a change in programme leadership. After concluding his secondment as programmes director at OCIMF, Capt Aaron Cooper has returned to Chevron as senior manager for marine operations performance and projects.

He has been succeeded by Dave Cudbertson, previously manager of global maritime assurance downstream and renewables at Shell and a member of the SIRE 2.0 steering committee. Mr Cudbertson noted the adoption of SIRE 2.0 required extensive work and preparation by industry, and the programme is now moving into a phase of optimisation and innovation to ensure it keeps pace with change.
OCIMF expressed its thanks to stakeholders for supporting SIRE 2.0 during its first year and invited further feedback through the ’Suggestions for Improvement’ portal available to programme users.