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The Steel Structures Painting Council (SSPC) is a national organization composed of painting contractors, paint manufacturers, associated equipment manufacturers, facility owners and managers, inspectors, specification writers, and others who have an interest in the industrial painting industry. Its stated mission is:
- To advance the technology and the practice of protective coatings for public and corporate structures and
- To develop, establish, identify and disseminate information on techniques, materials, and strategies for improved, cost-effective, safe and environmentally compliant protection.
This mission is promoted by the participation of the membership in various seminars and training programs that are offered or co-sponsored by the SSPC at different locations across the U.S. The mission is also promoted in publications such as the “Journal of Protective Coatings and Linings” (a monthly magazine) and the “Lead Paint Bulletin” (a monthly bulletin) which are sent to all members. In addition there are books and manuals published by the SSPC dealing with specific topics about coatings and their application.
The SSPC has developed a Painting Contractor Certification Program (PCCP) which is a national pre-qualification service designed to give facility owners and others who hire industrial painting contractors a basis for evaluating those contractors’ capabilities. The PCCP evaluates painting contractors in two categories: SSPC-QP 1, “Standard Procedure for Evaluating Qualifications of Painting Contractors: Field Application to Complex Structures,” and SSPC-QP 2, “Standard Procedure for Evaluating the Qualifications of Painting Contractors to Remove Hazardous Paint.”
SSPC-QP 1
To become a QP 1 certified industrial painting contractor, a firm must meet defined standards of quality in four key areas: management, technical capability, quality control, and safety.
Management
In the area of management, a contractor must demonstrate that he has the organization, policy, personnel, and procedures to operate effectively. He must provide evidence of disseminating policies on the company’s mission, on safety, and on quality control. He must be able to describe the company’s organizational structure including names, titles, duties, and job descriptions of key personnel.
The contractor also has to show sound procedures for keeping financial records and for estimating, scheduling, and accounting for costs of work conducted. Procedures for reviewing job specifications and bid documentation must also be sound.
Technical Capability
The contractor must show he has the technical capability to conduct industrial coating work. To demonstrate technical proficiency, he must show that he has qualified applicators and supervisory personnel, that there are available training programs for workers, that he has a library of current technical standards, and that he and his staff participate in industry organizations.
In addition he must show that he has sound procedures for handling documents such as job specifications and revisions.
The contractor also has to demonstrate knowledge about equipment, equipment maintenance, and coating materials. And finally, he has to furnish a list of current and recently completed work on industrial maintenance painting of complex structures showing that he has sufficient experience in that area.
Quality Control
The contractor must demonstrate that he has a program to control the quality of painting work, including personnel qualified to handle quality control functions, quality control instruments and calibration procedures, inspection procedures, and recording systems.
Safety
In safety the contractor must furnish specific documentation about his safety program including the following: safety education, meetings, accident reporting, training in first aid, procedures for enforcement of safety rules, sources of information on safety, and a method of determining the efficiency of the safety procedures. He must also demonstrate that he provides his workers with personal protective equipment and that he has procedures for maintaining the equipment properly.
SSPC-QP 2
QP 2 certification indicates a contractor’s competence to protect workers and the environment while successfully completing industrial lead paint and similar hazardous paint removal projects. These contractors have the necessary programs and procedures in place to meet the worker protection requirements of the new OSHA Interim Final Standard on Lead in Construction, CFR 1926.62 as well as EPA requirements to protect air, water, and soil during lead paint abatement.
For this certification contractors must demonstrate their competence in four additional areas beyond those required for QP 1:
Management of Hazardous Paint Removal Projects
Technical Capabilities Related to Hazardous Paint Removal
Personnel Qualifications and Training
Safety and Environmental Compliance Programs
The contractors are evaluated through a series of submittals to SSPC about their operations and then an impartial, on-site audit of their operations is conducted by an independent auditor. At the heart of this standard is the contractor’s ability to provide a competent person, independent of production, on the job site to oversee hazardous paint removal work. A “competent person” is one who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or identifying working conditions that are unsanitary, hazardous or dangerous to employees. This person has the authority to correct these conditions immediately.
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