Compliance & inspections

# Vetting Knowledge Live

Vetting is a commercial, contract-based control (oil major, terminal, charterer), distinct from Port State Control, which is a State control: a ship can be fully PSC-compliant and still fail a vetting, if the standard required by the charterer is higher.

## The three main vetting schemes

Scheme | Scope | Distinctive feature
--- | --- | ---
OCIMF SIRE 2.0 | Tankers | Fully replaced VIQ7 from 2 September 2024; no new VIQ7 inspection is possible any longer
CDI-M | Chemical tankers, gas carriers and, from the 10th SIR edition (February 2024), also LNG, product tankers and dry bulk | Over 600 owners/operators registered in the CDI program
TMSA | Management of the whole Company (not the individual ship) | Annual self-assessment across 4 maturity levels against defined KPIs; part of a family of 4 OCIMF programs (TMSA, OVMSA, MTMSA, Ship-to-Ship Service Provider MSA)

## SIRE 2.0: what changes compared to the old VIQ7

SIRE 2.0 generates for each inspection a CVIQ (Compiled Vessel Inspection Questionnaire) built by an algorithm, not a fixed questionnaire identical for every ship. Each question is assessed across three dimensions: Hardware (equipment condition), Procedure (correctness and currency of the procedure) and Human Factors (understanding and application by the crew). The judgment is no longer a binary Yes/No, but a scale ranging from "Exceeds Expectations" to "Not as Expected". The inspection is conducted on a tablet, with GPS verification and real-time photo capture.

Every "Not as Expected" observation must be justified with at least one of the 9 Performance Influencing Factors (PIF), the human element that, more than any other, distinguishes SIRE 2.0 from the previous VIQ7:

- Recognition of the task's criticality for safety
- Custom and practice in using the procedure
- Procedures that are accessible, useful, understandable and accurate for the task
- Team dynamics, communication and coordination
- Crew stress, fatigue and morale
- Ergonomics of the workplace (signage, tools, layout, noise, light, heat)
- Human-machine interface
- Competence and task-specific training
- Supervision and organizational safety culture

Heightened-attention campaign under way until March 2026 on vessel hardening (CVIQ question 7.2.1): check in advance the status of onboard intrusion/piracy protection measures.

## CDI: the parallel vetting scheme for chemical tankers, gas carriers and beyond

The CDI-M (Chemical Distribution Institute – Marine), active since 1994, is the chemical industry's dedicated vetting scheme, parallel to SIRE but with its own questionnaire and criteria (Ship Inspection Report, SIR). Since the 10th edition of the SIR (February 2024) the scheme also covers LNG, product tanker and dry bulk ships, no longer only chemical and gas carriers. CDI-T, active since 1997, applies the same principle to bulk liquid storage terminals.

## TMSA: self-assessment of the Company, not the ship

TMSA (currently at its 3rd edition, 2017) asks the Company to self-assess its Safety Management System across a series of elements (including one dedicated to Maritime Security and one to Environmental and Energy Management, updated with the OCIMF paper on energy efficiency and fuel management) against four increasing maturity levels, with specific KPIs for each level. Re-assessment is recommended every 12 months. TMSA is part of a broader family of OCIMF Management Self-Assessment programs that also includes OVMSA (offshore), MTMSA (marine terminals) and the Ship-to-Ship Service Provider MSA.

## Recurring mistakes in vetting preparation

Scheme | Mistake | Typical consequence
--- | --- | ---
SIRE 2.0 | Crew answering uniformly and rehearsed rather than explaining the actual procedure | The inspector assigns a negative Performance Influencing Factor on communication/culture, penalizing the Human Factors assessment
SIRE 2.0 | Focusing only on Hardware, neglecting the Procedure and Human Factors dimensions | A 'Not as Expected' observation even with equipment in perfect condition, if the procedure is not understood by the crew
CDI-M | Onboard documentation not aligned between the paper copy and the electronic system | Documentary non-conformity observation, impacting the overall score
TMSA | Self-assessment completed as an isolated annual exercise, disconnected from the SMS's actual NC/CAPA record | Declared KPIs inconsistent with operational evidence at a subsequent oil major audit
General | Vetting preparation treated as an isolated event rather than the ship's permanent state | Unstable score between one inspection and the next, loss of charterer/oil major confidence

## General vetting preparation checklist

- Crew prepared to explain the actual procedure, not to repeat standardized answers
- Onboard documentation consistent between paper and electronic copies
- Hardware, Procedure and Human Factors status verified jointly, not just the equipment
- The Company's TMSA self-assessment aligned with the actual operational evidence on board
- GHG Rating and environmental performance verified, increasingly relevant in fleet selection policies

For the environmental performance that increasingly influences charterers' commercial decisions, also see Environmental Vetting and GHG Rating. For the statutory documentation to always keep ready, see the Certificates section.

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