Getting our seafarers ready for SIRE 2.0

The new SIRE 2.0 regime is expected to be operational by Q4 of 2022. Until then, the current SIRE programme will continue to be updated and improved to incorporate the latest standards, best practices, and regulations.

At Wilhelmsen Ship Management, we began intensive preparation months ago to ease our seafarers’ learning curve. The SIRE 2.0 inspection process is transitioning from a pure inspection regime focusing on equipment and procedures to a more human-factor-oriented process.

In anticipation of this shift, our technical and vetting team has begun the preliminary work of interpreting the implications of the vetting focus towards our seafarers’ familiarity with their tasks and our company’s procedures.

An initial gap analysis was conducted for the new set of questions in all chapters of SIRE 2.0 to identify changes in the revised programme’s methodology. By identifying gaps, we have developed bridging documents to assist our seafarers in building a good foundation and understanding the new regime. Nano Learning: Our vetting team has been building training modules in the form of nano learning to break down pieces of the new regime into actionable items. With regular and bitesized training, we can assist our seafarers in understanding what to expect pre-inspection, during inspection, postinspection, core understanding of negative observations and more.

Today, we manage about 50 tankers: 40 gas tankers and the remaining oil tankers. This is one of our fastest-growing segments. Therefore, implementing this new regime will have a material impact on our processes and safety management systems.

We are now circulating our training pack to our seafarers. It segregates general information into three main inspection phases: Pre-Inspection, During Inspection and PostInspection.

This is just the beginning. Understanding the new SIRE regime is challenging when required to sift through hundreds of documents with references and guidelines. Our priority is ensuring our seafarers can transition into the new regime without overloading them with too much information as they perform their duties.

Hence, we have dedicated resources allocated to ease the learning curve:

Training at the in-house training centre (International Maritime Training Centre): Our centre has been conducting classes on the SIRE 2.0 overview, the diff erence in methodology of vetting inspections under SIRE 2.0, what to expect during the process and how to interact appropriately with vetting inspectors including follow up. We aim to progressively communicate changes to ensure everyone understands why a change is being made and how it aff ects them.

SIRE 2.0 has signalled the industry’s commitment to safer ship operations. As progressive ship managers, we, too, adopt the same mindset to continuously improve our processes and systems to create a safe and effi cient environment onboard that supports our seafarers.

We are cautiously optimistic that we are in a good position to adopt the new regime. With adequate preparedness and the right attitude, we can tackle new challenges and maintain our excellent track record in SIRE inspections.