This publication follows each chapter of the latest version of the SIRE Vessel Inspection Questionnaire (VIQ) and provides guidance on the responsibilities for each question in the VIQ. Each ship owner, ship management company/operator or technical manager, referred to from here on in this Guide as “the company” should,under their own Safety Management System (SMS), have their own allocations of such responsibilities onboard.

Vessels' Practical Guide to Vetting (formerly Seafarers' Guide to Vetting Inspections) is the result of an INTERTANKO Vetting Committee initiative and has been written for all Officers and crew on board to enable them to better understand the content and requirements of the SIRE Vessel Inspection Questionnaire (VIQ).

This Guide should be used in conjunction with the latest edition of the OCIMF-SIRE VIQ.