SSPC Announces New Contractor Metallizing Certification Program (QP 6)

SSPC announces the launch of its newest contractor certification program for companies who perform metallizing work on industrial and marine structures and miscellaneous metal parts: SSPC-QP 6.

QP 6 certification is to be used by facility owners or their protective coating specialists or specifying engineers to ensure that contractors hired to perform metallizing work to protect bridge, industrial or marine structures, or miscellaneous metal parts have the primary technical capabilities and organizational structure to do the work.

The QP 6 program evaluates the qualifications of industrial thermal spray (metallizing) contractors by evaluating the contracting firm annually through an on-site field audit where an independent SSPC auditor observes whether the contractor has the capability to evaluate and accept the preparation of the surface to be metallized and to thermally spray:

1. coatings of aluminum, zinc, and their alloys for corrosion protection of steel and/or
2. zinc anodes on steel reinforced concrete, in accordance with the quality and safety requirements of SSPC-QP 6.

1. steel, or
2. concrete, or both steel and concrete.

QP 6 certification is based on SSPC-QP 6, Standard Procedure for Evaluating the Qualifications of Contractors Who Apply Thermal Spray (Metallizing) for Corrosion Protection of Steel and Concrete Structures, a consensus standard developed by SSPC technical committees, published July 1, 2004.

Unless otherwise specified, SSPC-QP 6 requires the contractor to be SSPC-QP 1 certified for field surface preparation and coating application, or SSPC-QP 3 certified for shop surface preparation and coating application, to supplement the requirements of this procedure.

Facility owners and their specifying protective coating specialists and engineers who wish to specify QP 6 for upcoming metallizing projects, please contact:

• Michael Damiano
  Director of Product Development
  Phone: 1-412-281-2331 x203 (from outside the USA)
  Toll-Free: 1-877-281-7772 x203 (within the USA)
  Fax: 1-412-281-9993
  damiano@sspc.org
  
  
• Norm Suzich
  Certification Manager
  Phone: 1-412-281-2331 x235 (from outside the USA)
  Toll-Free: 1-877-281-7772 x235 (within the USA)
  Fax: 1-412-281-9993
  suzich@sspc.org