Operational standards

Operational standards are the externally defined benchmarks against which a ship’s operation is measured beyond the statutory floor of SOLAS, MARPOL, and the ISM Code. The main ones are the OCIMF Tanker Management and Self Assessment (TMSA) program, the OCIMF Ship Inspection Report Programme (SIRE, now SIRE 2.0) for tanker vetting, and the RightShip risk and emissions rating used by dry-bulk charterers. Class societies and flag states add their own operational requirements. Failing these standards does not detain a ship, but it removes it from the approved list of major charterers and oil majors.