.
Ship Inspection Report (SIRE)
Programme
Vessel Inspection Questionnaires for Oil Tankers,
Combination Carriers, Shuttle Tankers, Chemical
Tankers and Gas Tankers.
(VIQ 6)
2014 Edition
3rd March, 2014
Oil Companies International Marine Forum
2
© Copyright OCIMF 2014. All rights reserved.
2
3
© Copyright OCIMF 2014. All rights reserved.
3
Record of Revisions to Draft
Rev No and Date VIQ No Revision
4
© Copyright OCIMF 2014. All rights reserved.
4
5
© Copyright OCIMF 2014. All rights reserved.
5
INDEX
Section 1. 6
Section 2. 8
Section 3. 9
Section 4. 11
Section 5. 14
Chapter 1. General Information 15
Chapter 2. Certification and Documentation 19
Chapter 3. Crew Management 25
Chapter 4. Navigation 29
Chapter 5. Safety Management 43
Chapter 6. Pollution Prevention 63
Chapter 7. Structural Condition 71
Chapter 8. Petroleum 73
Chapter 8. Chemicals 93
Chapter 8. LPG 107
Chapter 8. LNG 125
Chapter 9. Mooring 141
Chapter 10. Communications 147
Chapter 11. Engine and Steering Compartments 151
Chapter 12. General Appearance and Condition 159
Chapter 13. Ice Operations 163
6
© Copyright OCIMF 2014. All rights reserved.
6
SECTION 1
1.1 History of the SIRE Programme
In 1993, OCIMF established a Ship Inspection Report (SIRE) Programme, which enabled OCIMF members to
submit their ship inspection reports to OCIMF for distribution to OCIMF members and certain qualifying non OCIMF members.
Participation in the original programme, as either an inspecting OCIMF Member or a programme recipient, was
strictly voluntary and each programme recipient determined independently how to evaluate the information
contained in the reports received from OCIMF.
Under the SIRE Programme, the operator of any ship that is the subject of a report was given a copy of that
report and the opportunity to submit written comments relating to the report, to both the inspecting OCIMF
Member and to OCIMF.
Report recipients accessed the SIRE System Index by computer and this permitted the index to be viewed or
downloaded. Programme recipients could order reports and any matching operator comments from the SIRE
system. Reports and comments were transmitted by facsimile to the programme recipients' pre -registered
facsimile numbers on request.
1.2 Revisions to the Programme
The original SIRE Programme was first revised in 1997 and introduced the means whereby programme recipients
were able to receive reports and any operator comments electronically, as well as by facsimile.
Two major changes were also introduced in the 1997 Revised Programme. These were:
1. A Uniform Vessel Inspection Procedure; and,
2. A Vessel Particular Questionnaire (VPQ)
1
The SIRE Programme was again revised in 2000.
The 2004 revisions made further important changes to the inspection procedure whilst also adding numerous
new vessel types that are inspected under the programme.
2
Collectively, these are referred to herein as
“Vessels”. Subsequent revisions updated the VIQ questions and guidance, but did not add any questions. This
2011 Edition substantially changes the focus of the VIQ to increase the emphasis of the inspection on navigation
procedures and cargo and ballast handling operations. Consequently significant changes have been made in this
edition. In 2013 a further major revision of the VIQ was undertaken.
1 Under the Original 1993 Programme, the inspecting OCIMF Member was free to choose whatever inspection
protocol and report format it desired. In 1997, the Uniform Vessel Inspection Procedure changed this. The
Vessel Particular Questionnaire was a newly developed OCIMF document, also introduced in 1997 and was not
part of the original programme. The Vessel Inspection Questionnaire was further revised in 2000, and the Vessel
Particulars Questionnaire was also revised in 2003 when a Harmonised Vessel Particulars Questionnaire
(HVPQ) was introduced. Updated VIQs were published in 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2012.
2 The SIRE Programme was expanded in 2005 to include the inspection of barges carrying petroleum products,
chemicals, or gas, or vessels used in the carriage of packaged petroleum products or gas, or road tankers
carrying the same commodities. Towing vessels that are utilised in the handling of barges carrying the above
listed products may also be inspected under the SIRE Programme. The inspectio n of these vessels and
associated questionnaires are addressed in separate questionnaires.
7
© Copyright OCIMF 2014. All rights reserved.
7
1.3 Uniform Vessel Inspection Procedure
The programme requires that participating submitting companies follow a uniform Vessel Inspection Procedure.
This procedure has an Inspection Element and a Report Element.
The Inspection Element uses a series of detailed inspection questionnaires as appropriate for the type of vessel
inspected. These questionnaires address issues associated with safety and pollut ion prevention. Inspectors
who are employed, or contracted by submitting companies must (with certain exceptions) answer all these
questions.
Questions are, in many cases, accompanied by guidance notes and/or references to source documents. Their
purpose is to aid the Inspector’s response.
The Report Element is developed from the completed electronic questionnaire that is submitted by the
Inspector, either directly to the SIRE web site, or to the submitting company for further processing prior to
transmission to the vessel operator and to SIRE.
8
© Copyright OCIMF 2014. All rights reserved.
8
SECTION 2
2.1 The Vessel Inspection Questionnaires, Inspector Manuals and VIQ
Computer Programmes
The 3
rd
Edition revisions to the SIRE Vessel Inspection Questionnaires and their accompanying Inspection
Reports introduced significant changes to the scope and presentation of the Programme.
These were:
1. The inspection of oil tankers (together with combination carriers and shuttle tankers), chemical carriers and
gas carriers. Under the revised Programme, these vessels are categorised by size.
2. The inspection of barges carrying petroleum products, chemicals, or gas, or vessels used in the carriage of
packaged petroleum products or gas or road tankers carrying the same commodities, and also towing
vessels that are utilised in the handling of barges carrying the above listed products. Collectively, in the
VIQ documents, the inspection questionnaires that are used are referred to as “Vessel Inspection
Questionnaires” (“VIQs”)
3. The key question and sub-question concept used in the 1
st
and 2
nd
Editions of the VIQ was discontinued in
the 3
rd
and subsequent editions and replaced (except in a few cases) with individual questions. As in the
case of previous editions, however, the “Yes” “No”, “Not Seen” or “Not Applicable” responses are utilised.
2.2 Inspector Manuals
The Inspector Manual was a new feature introduced with the SIRE revisions in 2000. The Manual reorganised
the VIQ key questions, sub-questions and guidance notes to follow the order of the route that would normally be
taken by an inspector in the course of an inspection
3
.
As in the case of the previous editions of the VIQ, Inspector Manuals will be used with this 2011 Edition that set
out the questions into the approximate order that an inspector is likely to encounter them during the course of an
inspection. Selection of the questionnaire to be used for each particular inspection is made using a “Vessel
Selection Wizard” incorporated into the SIRE Report Editor Software programme. This Wizard requires a series
of questions to be answered. When the Wizard is completed, the appropriate questionnaire can be printed on a
local printer, with the questions set out either in the format of the VIQ itself, or in the format of the Inspector
Manual. The questionnaire may be printed in A4 or Letter paper, or reduced to a size appropriate to be us ed with
the SIRE VIQ Pocketbook. These Questionnaires must be used during each inspection. The inspection
findings must be transferred from the pocketbook to the appropriate VIQ computer programme after the
inspection is completed.
3 Each Inspector Manual is laid out on the assumption that an inspection takes the following course: a review
of the vessel’s Documentation, followed by an inspection of the Wheelhouse and Navigation,
Communications, General external areas (including Mooring, Main Deck and Pumproom), Cargo Control
Room, Engine and Steering Compartments and finally, the Accommodation.
9
© Copyright OCIMF 2014. All rights reserved.
9
SECTION 3
3.1 Using the SIRE Vessel Inspection Questionnaires (“VIQs”)
The inspection questionnaires used in this programme contain a series of questions related to safety and
pollution prevention applicable to the type of vessel that is inspected. These questions are consecutively
numbered and are logically grouped into separate chapters.
Each chapter contains a series of questions to be answered by the inspector. Questions may be accompanied
by guidance, namely:
1. Guidance notes to inspectors;
2. Reference source(s) citing regulation(s) or industry guidelines pertaining to questions; and
3. An indicator to identify issues when an inspector comment is mandatory.
The above-mentioned guidance, regulatory/industry references amplify the questions and these are provided to
assist the inspector to answer the questions.
If the guidance and references lead the inspector to conclude that the question should be answered positively,
the box “Yes” in the VIQ computer programme should be chec