The Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) is not an organisation anybody outside the shipping industry is likely to be familiar with. The proverbial man on the street is more likely to associate the word “tanker” with the risk of oil spills and, increasingly nowadays, with the use of the much-maligned fossil fuels; the average Joe is thus unlikely to link the OCIMF to promoting high safety standards among the vast majority of the global tanker fleet, reports the Business Times.
Assessing tanker conditions
Working quietly in the background, the grouping describes itself as a “voluntary association of oil companies with an interest in the shipment and terminalling of crude oil, oil products, petrochemicals and gas”. It focuses exclusively on “preventing harm to people and the environment by promoting best practices in the design, construction and operation of tankers, barges and offshore vessels and their interfaces with terminals”.
The OCIMF’s principal activity is running the Ship Inspection Report Programme (Sire), which assesses a tanker’s condition and operational standards. It has begun the phased roll-out of its new digitalised tanker inspection programme, Sire 2.0, which will replace the existing version.
But Sire 2.0 is more than just a digitalised version of the current programme. I understand that, among other things, it goes further to take into account the human element and how easy it is for crew to work safely and efficiently on a vessel. The OCIMF’s stated vision, after all, is for “a global marine industry that causes no harm to people or the environment”.
Still on the subject of shipping-industry safety initiatives, the dry-bulk carrier organisation Intercargo has issued a statement highlighting the performance of its members’ vessels.
It says that, despite a steady increase in port state control detention rates following the global pandemic, its entered vessels have consistently outdone industry performance indicators in both deficiencies and detentions.
Did you subscribe to our newsletter?
It’s free! Click here to subscribe!
Source: The Business Times
