Ship Inspection Report Programme

What it is

OCIMF's own SIRE 2.0 page (ocimf.org/programmes/sire-2-0), read on 2026-09-02 and reachable without a login, states, verbatim: "OCIMF's Ship Inspection Report Programme (SIRE) was originally launched in 1993 to specifically address concerns about sub-standard shipping."

Two generations sit on that one page, and this record keeps them apart. The 1993 programme is SIRE; its replacement is SIRE 2.0, described on the same page, verbatim: "Developed alongside industry and the OCIMF membership, the new and updated Ship Inspection Report Programme, SIRE 2.0, will future proof the tanker inspection process in line with evolving risks, technology and expertise." The launch date of SIRE 2.0 itself is not stated on that page and is not asserted here.

The scope narrowed between the two generations. The page records that barges and small vessels were incorporated into the original SIRE programme in 2005, but the same page's FAQ states, verbatim: "The SIRE 2.0 Programme does not include barges." OCIMF runs barges under a separate programme, described on its programmes directory, verbatim: "BIRE is a barge and inland coastal vessel inspection regime aligned to OCIMF's Ship Inspection Report Programme (SIRE)".

The same page states, verbatim: "The SIRE programme is a unique tanker risk assessment tool of value to charterers, ship operators, terminal operators and government bodies concerned with ship safety."

On participation, the same page states, verbatim: "Participation in the SIRE programme is on an entirely voluntary basis and the programme has established itself as a major source of technical and operational information to prospective charterers and other programme users." The word "voluntary" there is OCIMF's own.

The protocol has three elements, named verbatim on the page: "The pre-inspection element", "The Inspection element" (a pre-boarding phase and a physical inspection phase) and "The Report Element".

The first of those elements groups the page's named items: the Harmonised Vessel Particulars Questionnaire (HVPQ), the Pre-Inspection Questionnaire (PIQ), the "Certificate Repository", the "Photograph Repository" and the "Inspection Declaration".

Reports have a short shelf life inside the database. The page states, verbatim: "Inspection reports are available for download from the report index for a period of 12 months from the date of receipt and are maintained in the database for 2 years."

Scale, in the page's own words and its own time-frames — the page attributes these figures to SIRE and does not break them out by generation. Verbatim: "Since its introduction, more than 180,000 inspection reports have been submitted to SIRE. Currently there are over 22,500 reports on over 8000 vessels for inspections that have been conducted in the last 12 months. On average, programme recipients access the SIRE database at a rate of more than 8000 reports per month." So the 180,000 total runs since the programme's introduction, while the 22,500 reports and 8000 vessels cover the last 12 months only.

Two things should not be confused: the programme itself is publicly documented on OCIMF's own page, while the reports are held in a priced, access-controlled database.

Who owns it

OCIMF (Oil Companies International Marine Forum) owns and runs the programme, as set out on its own SIRE 2.0 page.

Who asks for it

Buyer-driven. Verified as buyer-side use only: OCIMF's own page describes the programme as a risk assessment tool "of value to charterers, ship operators, terminal operators and government bodies concerned with ship safety" and prices access for those users. No individual charterer's or terminal's requirement was verified.

Access defines the user base. OCIMF's own page states, verbatim: "SIRE access is available, at a nominal cost, to OCIMF members, bulk oil terminal operators, port authorities, canal authorities, oil, power, industrial or companies which charter tankers/barges as a normal part of their business. It is also available, free of charge, to Governmental bodies which supervise safety and/or pollution prevention in respect of oil tankers/barges (e.g. port state control authorities, MOUs, etc)."