Operations · 5 min read
OVID for offshore: how an OVIQ4 inspection works, and how to prepare
OVIQ4 went live in April 2025. How OVID inspections are run, how they differ from SIRE 2.0, and a preparation routine for offshore operators.
Offshore support vessels, crew transfer vessels, survey ships, dive support vessels and tugs working for oil and gas and renewables clients do not usually meet a SIRE inspector. They meet OVID. The Offshore Vessel Inspection Database is OCIMF's inspection programme for the offshore fleet, built to follow the format of SIRE while recognising that offshore work is assured and chartered differently.
The programme moved to its fourth questionnaire edition, OVIQ4, on 21 April 2025. For operators, the basic bargain has not changed: an accredited inspector boards, answers every question that applies to your vessel, and the report goes to the clients who decide whether to hire her. This article explains how the inspection runs, what the inspector must and must not do, how OVID differs from SIRE 2.0, and how to prepare.
Where OVID came from
OCIMF began developing OVID in 2009 with the Oil and Gas Producers organisation, and launched it in early 2010. The second questionnaire edition followed on 1 July 2015, the third on 17 September 2018, and the fourth in April 2025. The current family includes the main OVIQ4 (template 7300), OVIQ4 Small Craft (7301) and a questionnaire for mobile offshore drilling units (MODU3, 7302).
The documents in an OVID file
| Document | Who completes it | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| OVPQ, Offshore Vessel Particulars Questionnaire | The operator | Permanent and semi-permanent particulars: dimensions, capacities, equipment, recent operational history |
| OVIQ, Offshore Vessel Inspection Questionnaire | The accredited inspector | The inspection itself, generated for the vessel's type and operations |
| OVMSA, Offshore Vessel Management and Self Assessment | The operator | A self-assessment of the company's safety management, reviewed by clients |
| Crew matrix | The operator | Crew qualifications and experience, checked against what the inspector finds on board |
| Operator's comments | The operator | Written responses to observations, which become part of the downloaded report |
OCIMF does not warrant what the operator puts in the OVPQ; keeping it current is the operator's job. An out-of-date OVPQ makes the inspection harder and the report less useful, and the inspector will note a crew matrix that does not match the people on board.
How the questionnaire is built
The OVID software generates a question set for the specific vessel and her work. OCIMF describes the programme as having 31 vessel and operational variants. The chapters are the same for every vessel; the operations chapter is where the variants live.
Chapter 8, operations, holds the sets for survey, geotechnical survey, diving, towing and pushing, supply, ROV operations, crew transfer, landing craft, dredging, ship-assist escort tugs and security escort vessels. A crew transfer vessel sees the crew transfer set, not the diving set. The common chapters cover certification, crew and contractor management, navigation, safety and security management, pollution prevention, structural condition, mooring, communications, machinery and general condition.
How the inspector answers
This is the biggest practical difference from SIRE 2.0. OVID remains a yes, no, not applicable questionnaire, with observations and comments:
| Response | What it means | What the inspector must add |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | A positive answer in the inspector's professional judgement | Nothing, unless a comment adds useful context |
| No | A negative answer | An observation explaining why; mandatory |
| Not applicable | The question does not apply to this vessel | Nothing; some are set automatically by vessel type |
| Not seen | The item could not be verified | An observation |
The procedure is strict about evidence and conduct. The inspector must use objective evidence; the assurance of the vessel's staff is not enough. A question with a negative comment cannot be answered "Yes". The inspector must record deficiencies even if they were fixed while on board, must not give any indication of acceptability, spoken or written, and must not advise on what to do about an observation. Inspections are not carried out at night unless the commissioning member asks and the operator agrees it is safe, and the inspector must respect the crew's hours of rest.
OVID and SIRE 2.0, side by side
| OVID (OVIQ4) | SIRE 2.0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Fleet | Offshore vessels, small craft, MODUs | Tankers, barges and gas carriers |
| Questionnaire | Generated by vessel type and operation from a fixed questionnaire | Compiled from a question library by risk: core, rotational, campaign |
| Answer | Yes, no, not applicable, not seen | Graded responses through hardware, process and human lenses |
| Human element | Tested through questions on competence, familiarity and records | An explicit lens with nine performance influencing factors |
| Operator's self-assessment | OVMSA | TMSA |
| Evidence before boarding | OVPQ, crew matrix | Pre-inspection questionnaire, photograph set, documents |
The human element still matters in OVID. Questions ask whether crew hold valid certificates and whether this was verified on joining, whether rest-hour records comply, whether a newly hired Master received a proper familiarisation, and whether officers show a full understanding of practices such as steering changeover. They are answered yes or no, but they are answered by watching and asking people.
Common observations, and why
No public statistic ranks OVID observations, and we will not invent one. The areas that reliably generate them are the same ones that generate Port State deficiencies and SIRE observations, adjusted for offshore work:
- Crew and contractor records: a crew matrix on the OVID website that does not match the crew on board; certificates not verified at joining.
- Hours of rest: offshore shift patterns and transfer days that leave records inconsistent with the logs.
- Control of work: permits to work, lifting and personnel-transfer procedures that exist on paper but are not followed at the worksite.
- Emergency preparedness: drills that are recorded but not realistic, and equipment familiarity that falls apart when the inspector asks for a demonstration.
- Operations-specific equipment: DP, ROV, diving or towing systems whose trials, records or maintenance do not match the operation declared.
A preparation routine
| When | On board | Ashore |
|---|---|---|
| Four weeks out | Walk the vessel by chapter, including only the operations sets that apply | Update the OVPQ and the crew matrix; check OVMSA is current |
| Three weeks out | Practise demonstrations: steering changeover, emergency stops, personnel transfer, lifting | Close overdue maintenance and open audit findings |
| Two weeks out | Check permits, rest-hour records and drill records against the logs | Confirm certificates and survey dates; brief the Master on the commissioning client's concerns |
| The last week | Rest the crew; no new projects | Keep the operator's comments template ready |
After the inspection, the operator has the opportunity to comment on each observation, and those comments are part of what every recipient downloads. Write them as you would for SIRE: what happened, why, what was done, with evidence, and what changed in the system so it does not happen again.
What to do Monday
- Check every vessel's OVPQ for accuracy, especially recent operational history.
- Compare each crew matrix on the OVID website with the crew actually on board.
- Confirm which operations sets in chapter 8 apply to each vessel, and walk those first.
- Run a demonstration-based drill on one safety-critical system per vessel this week.
- Review rest-hour records on transfer and mobilisation days against the logs.
- Update your OVMSA self-assessment if it is more than a year old.
Questions and answers
What is OVID?
The Offshore Vessel Inspection Database, OCIMF's inspection programme for offshore vessels, launched in 2010 and broadly following the format of SIRE.
What is OVIQ4?
The fourth edition of the Offshore Vessel Inspection Questionnaire. Template 7300 was launched on 21 April 2025; a Small Craft version (7301) and a MODU questionnaire (7302) sit alongside it.
How long does an OVID inspection take?
OCIMF's inspection procedure expects a typical OVIQ inspection to take 8 to 10 hours, depending on the vessel's size and complexity.
How is OVID different from SIRE 2.0?
OVID answers each question yes, no, not applicable or not seen, with observations for negatives. SIRE 2.0 compiles questions by risk and grades hardware, process and human responses separately.
What is OVMSA?
Offshore Vessel Management and Self Assessment: the operator's self-assessment of its safety management system, the offshore counterpart of TMSA.
Can the inspector tell us whether the vessel passed?
No. OVID inspectors must not give any indication of acceptability. Clients decide on the basis of the report and the operator's comments. *This article explains; it is not an OCIMF publication. Check the current OVID questionnaires and guidance for your vessel.*
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SIRE 2.0 and OVID practice
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This article explains; it is not legal or regulatory advice. Check the instrument in force for your ship.