Category:Offshore Vessel Inspection Database (OVID)

OVID is a voluntary system of inspection where all inspections are posted to an online database created for the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) and the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (OGP) members and other bodies who have an operational interest in offshore marine activities. It is similiar in some respects to the tanker inspection regime SIRE being a database which gives members of OCIMF access to all vessel inspections. The inspection questions contain a combination of regulatory compliance and industry best practice. Vessels are inspected by accredited inspectors only and there is no self assessment as is sometimes conducted by vessel owners for the IMCA CMID. To become an inspector you have to attend the training course, however, you must receive a recommendation letter from a member of OCIMF and Inspectors can only inspect vessels of a type which they are accredited for. This information forms part of the database of inspectors. Certain operating companies are already making it compulsory for a vessel to have an OVID inspection before it is even considered to go on hire.

OVID Usage
Out of the 86 current members of OCIMF, there are 30 users of OVID primarly because these are the primary charterers of Offshore Vessels. Currently, there are over 3100 vessels registered with OVID representing over 390 vessel operators. There are currently over 520 accredited OVID inspectors around the world having conducted over 970 vessel inspections. During the year 2011, TOTAL will completely switch to an OVID system of inspection. Chevron and ADNOC have plans to switch to a complete OVID system in 2012. The OVID inspection, once complete for a particular vessel, is valid for 1 year, however, it is up to the sole discretion of the OCIMF member to request further inspections. OCIMF recommends that, on average, a vessel receives 2 inspections per year.

Offshore Vessel Particulars Questionnaire (OVPQ)
The OVPQ is a document owned by the vessel / unit operator and is completed and updated as a ‘live’ document. It contains the records, certification and equipment for each vessel that the vessel owner has registered with OVID. Prior to a vessel inspection owners have to complete a Offshore Vessel Particulars Questionnaire (OVPQ). This is a large document which details vessel information including crew and vessel certificate status. One of the first questions that an inspector asks when he gets to the vessel is has the OVPQ been completed and is it valid. However, the OVPQ is not a prerequisite to having an inspection conducted. An OVPQ can be created using the OVPQ editor and the length of the questionnaire varies with the type of vessel operation that is involved. For instance, a vessel involved in Anchor Handling, Towing and Supply may have a different list of questions than a vessel involved in ROV operations. It can take up to 3-4 hours to completely fill an OVPQ depending on the type of vessel operation and the number of people dedicated toward acquiring the information. It is highly recommended to have a member of shore based management validate the OVPQ before it is uploaded into the system as incorrect data entry can cause some discomfort to the operator in the long run.

The OVPQ Sections are as follows:

1. General Information 2. Certification and Documentation 3. Crew and Contractor Management 4. Navigation 5. Safety and Security Management 6. Pollution Prevention and Environmental Management 7. Structural 8. Speciality Vessel/Unit Data 9. Deck Equipment 10. Communications 11. Propulsion, Power Generation and Machinery 12. Ice Operational Capability 13. Helicopter Operations 14. DP Capability and Systems 15. Lift Boats / Jack-ups

Offshore Vessel Inspection Questionnaire (OVIQ)
The OVIQ is the inspection report containing 15 chapters, 19 operation types, 5 operational modes/ configurations and guidance for inspectors. The OVIQ questions are primarily designed to highlight operational practices and behaviour patterns; the management controls on board and from the ship operator’s office by sampling the effectiveness of the safety management system at that point in time. The observations are designed to extract a response from the ship operator as to how the issues raised will be managed. The questions are not just to create a list of priority corrective actions as determined by an inspector. A spot check is conducted after which the inspector then conducts the inspection using the Offshore Vessel Inspection Questionnaire (OVIQ). The inspector does not raise findings, recommendations or provide corrective actions. The question set is specific to a vessel type and as such allow the answer to be yes – where no comments are required from the inspector. If he answers no then he must write a comment. He can also write yes with a comment. Once the inspection is complete the inspector writes his report on line and up loads on to the system. The oil company has to review this report and validate it before it can be seen by the vessel owner. The Owner then has 14 days to comment on the report after which the report becomes live and is available to be read – even if the owner has not commented on the report. Once the 14 day timeline has elapsed, the owner cannot edit his initial comments, however, he still has the option to add a supplementary comment, for example, if a defect was repaired 1 month after in drydock, he can log into the system and indicate such as a supplementary comment. It is the policy of OCIMF that completed OVIQ reports cannot be forwarded to third parties without the sole permission of the OCIMF.

OVID Inspectors
There are minimum qualifications before one can become an OVID Inspector. That person must possess qualifications of a Master Mariner, Chief Engineer or Class Surveyor with relevant experience in Offshore Vessels. Candidates without experience in Offshore Vessels generally may not be considered although this is at the discretion of the OCIMF. During the inspection process, the OVID inspector will look at a "snapshot" of the management system onboard the vessel as well as how shore management interacts and deals with problems that arise. For instance, if there are a lot of open Non-Conformances on file, without any response or correspondence from management, then this is immediately indicative to the inspector that the management support may be inadequate.

Offshore Vessel Management Self Assessment (OVMSA)
The OVMSA is a self assessment tool designed to provide guidance to management whether the management system meets both the requirements of ISM and of international best practice. It is a Yes/No questionnaire which will be released by OCIMF shortly.

Newsletter
There is a monthly OVID newsletter which contains the activity of the OVID team, monthly statistics for number of vessels in the OVID database, number of OVPQs uploaded and number of inspections requested. The most recent copy of the newsletter can be found on the OVID website

Links


OVID website

IAGC - OGP Global HSE Forum - OVID

Marine Safety Forum - OVID

Chevron Presentation - OVID

Sample Operator Responses to Inspection