Page 18 - 2023 - Q4 - Minerva in Focus
P. 18

SIRE 2.0




           Mythbusting the new

           OCIMF inspections regime







           A  limited  number  of  companies  have   The tablet can, however, be used for taking
           had the chance to trial the new system   photographs, but only after acquiring permis-
           during Phases 1 and 2 of its launch,   sion from the port/terminal and the Master,   “
           many—often inaccurate—speculations   and only when this is deemed necessary for   The inspector will only
           regarding the revised inspection process   supporting an observation, typically using the
           have been extrapolated through word of   “Hardware” or “Photo comparison” response  photograph pieces of onboard
           mouth, making this an all but dreaded   tools. This means that the inspector will only   equipment as proof of an
           transition for many seafarers.     photograph pieces of onboard equipment as
                                              proof of an identified defect or to compare   identified defect or to
           Having gathered some first-hand experi-  with the photos already provided by us, the   compare with the photos
           ence on SIRE 2.0 through the numerous   operator, when those photos appear to not be
           trial  inspections  carried  out  onboard   representative of the actual onboard condition.  already provided by the
           Minerva vessels, we are here to shed                                             operator
           some light on some of these myths and   Myth # 2:
           hopefully help to put our worried sea-  The observations recorded using the
           farers’ mind a bit more at ease when it   “Human” response tool are personal                    ”
           comes to the upcoming transition, cur-  and will clearly mention the inter-
           rently expected to take place during the   viewee’s rank.
           third quarter of 2024.             This is another worry-inducing speculation,   Myth # 3:
                                              which is not precise. From our experience   Recorded observations cannot be
           Myth # 1:                          with the received trial inspection reports, al-  deleted, and all observations will be
           The inspector is free to take videos or   though it is undeniable that the new regime   noted down as soon as they are iden-
           recordings of one-on-one interviews   focuses a lot more heavily on the human risk   tified, leaving no room for discussion
           with seafarers or onboard equipment   factor, the exact rank of the person being   during the closing meeting.
           tests and demonstrations at will,   interviewed is never reported. Instead, an   This is another common misconception
           using their tablet.                observation  recorded  under  “Human”  will   which is not entirely accurate. While the GPS
           This is perhaps the most common myth   feature a general description of the inter-  tracking feature in the inspector’s tablet
           whispered in smoking rooms and maritime   viewee’s rank, such as “Senior Engineer Of-  encourages the immediate noting down of
           academies all around. In reality, the inspec-  ficer” or “Junior Deck Officer”. When it comes   observations on sight, there is flexibility in
           tor’s tablet, one of the most striking features   to ratings, the report is even more vague,   the process. It is possible to remove negative
           of the new regime, is not equipped for video   with a simple mention of “Rating”.  observations or leave a question unan-
           recording, nor is such action in the inspector’s                      swered during the course of the inspection
           domain. Voice recordings could potentially be   Understandably, this is perhaps not as re-  and return to it later. This will, however, be
           taken but are in no way meant for sharing or   lieving as one might have hoped. Nonethe-  recorded by the tablet’s software, which
           publishing, and are solely to be used by the   less, it is worth remembering that SIRE 2.0 in   collects data entries for the date and time
           inspector as a quicker way of taking notes that   no way intends to point fingers, but rather   of each response, as well as the addition or
           he may refer to while preparing his report.  provide the tools for a more comprehensive   removal of negative observations.
                                              and accurate assessment of the level of the
                                              onboard implementation of procedures   In fact, inspectors are specifically instructed
                                              and policies put in place by operators. This   to confirm with the Master during the closing
                                              is something that could not be achieved as   meeting if any supplementary information
                                              effectively with the previous regimes.  has become available concerning negative
                                                                                 observations and to amend their report, if
                                              The silver lining here is that SIRE 2.0 in-  this  is  adequately  justified  by  the  supple-
                                              troduces  brand-new  feature—positive  mentary information provided.
                                              observations. These are only reported
                                              using the “Human” response tool and aim
                                              to acknowledge when the observed person
                                              demonstrates exceptional performance and
                                              skill in their duties.  From our experience so
           by Georgia Pantositi               far, inspectors are not at all reluctant to note
           Jr. Vetting Officer, Minerva Marine Inc.  down a positive observation when deserved.


          18 MINERVA IN FOCUS – ISSUE 26 / Q4 2023
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