Ethos marine services continues to play a major contribution to SIRE, both inspecting on behalf of OCIMF members and also in the further development and improvements to the SIRE system itself. Capt. Nikhil Karkhanis, being an OCIMF auditing inspector is able to share his experience and knowledge to enhance SIRE with his past training of new inspectors on behalf of OCIMF and helping to ensure the quality of the SIRE program remains a leading tool for the industry. With our wealth of knowledge and inspectors globally located, we are in a very strong position to provide a very efficient, fast and professional service for our clients at short notice in the majority of key locations.

Flag State Inspections (FSI) are used by flag states to ensure satisfactory standards are being maintained on board vessels flying their flag. Flag State Inspections are carried out by approved Flag State Inspectors and include verification of statutory documentation and a general examination of the vessel's structure, machinery and equipment as well as a more thorough inspection and/or operational testing of fire fighting equipment, life saving appliances and safety equipment.

Navigational Audits is a tool to increase the navigational safety standards in a shipping company. According to OCIMF TMSA element 5, the operator shall arrange independent navigational reviews to check the navigational competence. A Navigational Audit is a systematic control of how the Ship Operator’s Navigational procedures are followed. The audit is not to be performed while the vessel is in port. A Navigational Audit program starts with a discussion between the ship operator and the independent auditor what the outcome of the program should be. Issues that will be discussed can be how many percent of the fleet that will be audited yearly, how the follow up on any findings will be dealt with and the frequency of the audits. Ideally the outcome of the audits will be linked to the operators training program. The training can either take place in a simulator or been carried out onboard during the audits.

To distinguish between those organizations who embrace the International Safety Management Code (ISM) in its true spirit and those who aim at fulfilling, only minimum requirements we have our inhouse audit model constructed in line with the Oil Majors requirement which brings out the true picture Safety & Environmental protection standards of the organization.

We review the SMS procedure and organizational culture of the Company, list out the gap, redesign and develop the current SMS for the additional procedures to make the SMS more effective to fulfil the gap.

Our Team of experienced Master Mariners carry out extensive Cargo Audits as part of the TMSA requirement.

We have developed an in-house Cargo Audit Checklist in line with TMSA requirements which provides a complete overview of the soft skills and knowledge of onboard personnel related to cargo operations.

Our team of auditors when onboard are an extended arm of the organization rather than third party auditors.

As part of the Audit, Training and rectification is also carried out whilst onboard to ensure no Observations are noted by third party inspectors.

Our team assists in performing TMSA as well as MTMSA & OVMSA Gap analysis to find areas for improvements that helps Shipping Companies to achieve higher stages in the TMSA, MTMSA or OVMSA. Ethos marine services also assists with implementing procedures that are not already in place.

Originally introduced in 2004, the TMSA has helped both operators to assess, measure and improve their safety management systems and for OCIMF members and Charterers to gauge the effectiveness of a Company against an industry standard tool. Ethos Marine services have a wealth of experience working with OCIMF members conducting TMSA’s and are actively engaged in improving this process further. Our experienced consultants are able to identify gaps between the operator’s submission and key performance indicators.

Experienced in the field of terminal auditing, we are able to provide consultancy to prepare the OCIMF Marine Terminal Particulars Questionnaire (MTPQ) for clients and the Marine Terminal Management and Self-Assessment (MTMSA) that provides the best practice and key performance indicators against which terminal operators can assess the effectiveness of their management systems for berth operations and ship - shore interface.

OCIMF's Offshore Vessel Management and Self-Assessment (OVMSA) program has been developed as a similar tool to TMSA to help operators of offshore vessels to assess, measure and improve their management systems. We have been heavily engaged with OCIMF members in conducting OVMSA of offshore Companies to identify gaps within their management systems.

Ethos marine services vessel surveyors and inspectors report on the condition of a particular vessel’s hull and machinery, and other equipment condition at the given time of the inspection. The survey will typically determine the working or operational condition of equipment and management systems, including its certification status. Ethos marine services works with vessel and barge owners, charterers, and insurance interests, including Protection & Indemnity (P&I) Clubs, in providing condition surveys for vessels and fleets of all types, sizes and purpose.

On-site, we will initially provide support and assistance to the master and owners at a time which is often their first experience of an accident. We then ensure we provide the club with essential information captured in a quick report format so that the claims handler can take the correct immediate actions to protect their members – for example, by engaging lawyers or salvors.

Once the situation is stabilised, we will carry out a thorough investigation. We will collect contemporaneous evidence both electronic and paper-based, and if required take statements from crew in a legal format.

We will facilitate reciprocal ‘without prejudice’ surveys in order to record the damage and estimate repair costs. We will liaise with the opposing interests to continue inspections and record progress as the vessels are being repaired.

We have the people who have the expertise to advice and suggest/address the necessary shipping concerns to the individuals and corporations engaged in the marine business. Our long-term strategy is to provide an all-inclusive consultancy on a global scale featuring marine and offshore industry.

Our Expeditors possess a broad knowledge of shipboard and terminal operations & specialist cargo handling knowledge to provide necessary guidance to ship & shore to facilitate an effective & safe cargo operation. All jobs are attended by a suitably experienced Expeditor with the following qualification:

Suppliers & receivers of bulk liquid hydrocarbons, chemical and vegetable oils need to be satisfied that cargoes are properly accounted for in terms of accepted standards of quantity & quality. In general, independent surveyors follow industry standards (i.e. BS or I.P / ASTM) to record facts & measurements whereas an experienced Expeditor will focus exclusively on ‘loss prevention’ during all stages of the custody transfer.
Our Expeditor will ensure that ship/shore tank contents are accurately measured using correctly calibrated equipment. Every effort will be made to correctly determine all quantities (OBQ, ROB, free-water, etc.), reduce delays, prevent incidents, oversee quality determination, ensure tank cleanliness, provide on the spot dispute resolution and update the client regularly.

Expeditors will accommodate themselves on board the vessel in order to witness all operations & to familiarise with ship personnel. Expeditors are instructed to report to customers when appropriate. Specific reporting instructions are provided in the appointment message. All work undertaken is comprehensively documented and submitted upon completion of the operation.

The Expeditor will ensure STS operations are conducted in line with the Ship to Ship Transfer Guide for Petroleum, Chemicals and Liquified Gases (CDI, ICS, OCIMF, SIGTTO), will overseeing the conduct of safe mooring and unmooring operations of chartered vessels, oversee the conduct of safe cargo transfer operations.

Ethos marine services offers a comprehensive Hull & Machinery (‘H&M’) service to ship owners, underwriters, brokers, law firms and other related parties. With technical experts in Hull & Machinery surveying and inspections worldwide, we investigate the cause, nature and extent of damage or failure, as well as offer accurate estimates of repair costs and duration, for all types of marine H&M claims.

Bringing together our unique mix of marine engineers, master mariners, naval architects and electrical engineers, we can quickly and efficiently respond to our clients’ H&M needs no matter where they are located.

Despite all efforts to prevent them, accidents that damage cargo happen continuously. An engineering investigation can determine the cause, responsibility and extent of a loss involving cargo damage.

Our engineers and investigators have expertise in determining the cause, nature, scope and value of cargo loss due to dropping, fire damage, water contamination, inadequate blocking and bracing as well as many other factors. Our engineers are experienced in many industries and are familiar with a wide variety of unique machinery and equipment. They are often called on to determine whether machinery or equipment is repairable, damaged beyond reasonable repair efforts, or is only superficially damaged.

When our engineers are called to serve as expert witnesses they are a reliable resource for providing accurate, easy-to-understand explanations as to the unique factors of an incident to an insurance adjuster, attorney or jury.