Solutions

The advanced knowledge of coating systems, equipment, preparation, application, and safety procedures required of the highly specialized field of industrial coatings demands rigorous training standards.

Facility owners and operators should require – and engineers should specify – the use of protective coatings specialists on all corrosion projects.

In 2008, corrosion industry authorities SSPC and NACE created a joint standard specifying criteria for mastery in protective coatings application work. In order to advance this standard, SSPC’s Industrial Coating and Lining Application Specialist certification program (known as CAS) and NACE’s Certified Coating Applicator (CCA) program were created.

The CAS certification curriculum and qualification exam program combines classroom education and hands-on training with rigorous knowledge and competency testing. This ensures that CAS-certified workers possess mastery of all aspects of corrosion work, including surface preparation, coating application, health and safety protocols, equipment use, and others.

Similarly, the NACE CCA certification is designed for experienced industrial coatings applicators. By achieving the CCA certification, candidates gain a formal, industry recognized certification demonstrating their skills and knowledge in surface preparation, cleanliness, environmental conditions, coating mixtures, coating application, and safety.

SSPC and NACE training and certifications are recognized by agencies and organizations around the world. This includes the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), which included the SSPC/NACE protective coatings application standard as an industry best practice in recent rule making which requires the use of protective coatings specialists on all Illinois community water supply corrosion work.

For more information on the CAS training and certification program, see https://www.sspc.org/coating-application-specialist-certification-cas/.

For more information on the CCA program, see https://naceinstitute.org/institute/certification/general-coatings/certified-coating-applicator.