The SIRE 2.0 reality: vetting is now a digital workflow, not one-off preparation

OCIMF’s tanker vetting standard SIRE 2.0 has replaced VIQ7 since September 2024 and, in 2026, has become the central discipline on operators’ agenda. Inspections are now algorithm-driven: the question library generates around 100 vessel-specific questions for each ship, so no two inspections are alike; the human factor (crew competence) is scored alongside hardware and procedures.

The programme requires standard vessel photographs — covering safety-critical equipment, cargo areas, accommodation and engine rooms — to be refreshed every six months. Systematic digital capture and archiving across the fleet is no longer a choice; it is a requirement — the shift we break down in our SIRE 2.0 transition guide.

Apeks view — The era of “we’ll prepare two weeks before the inspection” is over. The real message of SIRE 2.0 is this: a vessel’s inspection evidence must be kept in order and ready to show at any moment, not reconstructed from scattered folders under deadline. For owners and technical managers the practical move is to make that evidence discipline a routine, not a one-off project — it is the need we are building HullSnap to serve.