Page 18 - 2023 - Q4 - Minerva in Focus
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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