ScopeThe purpose of this chapter is to provide an

overview for individuals involved in quality control inspectionfor protective coating projects. Many times inspection isconsidered the primary quality control activity, when in factinspection is only one part of the quality control process.Equally important are the activities of document control,calibration verification and identifying nonconformances, andrecommending corrective actions. This chapter concentrateson quality control performed by individual inspectors on the

project level and not an overall quality program.

Terminology� Quality control (QC) is the gathering and documenting ofinformation that verifies that the work performed meets orexceeds some minimum standard as required by projectspecifications.1

� Quality assurance (QA) is defined as the process to verifythat the quality of the workperformed is actually what is claimed on the basis of thequality control being performed.Quality control is not synonymous with quality assurance.Quality assurance is meant to protect against failures ofquality control.1

� The quality program or quality system establishes andcontrols the required level of QA and QC that may berequired to show conformance to a specification or industryaccepted standard.� The Quality Control Manual is the governing document ofwritten procedures used toimplement the quality program.� The QC manager or supervisor is the qualified persondesignated by upper management with the full support andauthority to oversee the quality program. The overall qualityprogram is maintained and evaluated on an annual basis bythe QC manager who is responsible for issuing correctiveactions and implementing revisions to the quality program. 2

� The QA or QC inspector is the qualified person designatedby the QC manager to perform individual inspections andverify that work is being performed according to the prede-termined criteria. The QC inspector should have theauthority and support of upper management to identifynonconformances and recommend corrective actions and tostop work if required.2

Standards and GuidelinesIn addition to this volume the following SSPC

publications provide standards, procedures, and guidelinesto better understand the quality control process:� SSPC-QP 1. Standard Procedure for Evaluating PaintingContractors (Field Application to Complex Industrial Struc-tures); SSPC: Pittsburgh.� SSPC-QP 3. Standard Procedure for Evaluating Qualifica-tions of Shop Painting Applicators; SSPC: Pittsburgh.� SSPC-QP 5. Standard Procedure for Evaluating Qualifica-tions of Coating and LiningInspection Companies; SSPC: Pittsburgh.� Bechtel Power Corp. Coating and Lining InspectionManual; SSPC: Pittsburgh, 1991.

Pre-Job Review

Contract and Specification ReviewPrior to beginning any job the specification and all

supporting documents should be reviewed by the designatedindividuals responsible for overseeing the job. Writtenacknowledgement of the specification, revisions, supportingdocuments, and correspondence should be documented.Ambiguous specifications and uncertainties and differencesof opinion should be documented in writing and maintainedin the job file. The quality control section of the specificationmay require verifying conformance of certain requirementsprior to starting the job.

Quality Control and Inspector RequirementsAll persons designated as inspectors may be

required to have sufficient documentation or recordsavailable for:� Formalized training or inspector certification� Experience in the type of structure to be inspected� Inspection equipment required by the job specificationavailable to the inspector� Records of calibration for all inspection equipment used bythe inspector� Standards and procedures required to show conformanceto job specifications available to the inspector� Approved copies of material suppliers technical datasheets, application instructions, and material safety data

sheets (MSDSs)

Chapter 3.0Quality Control for Protective Coating Projects

Thomas A. Jones

Quality Control_____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

12

Inspection PlanA written inspection plan to show conformance to

the specification may be required. The inspection planshould list inspection hold points that conform to the indi-vidual specification requirements or industry standards andprocedures. The following listed inspection hold points areconsidered basic for most work.3 Additional inspection holdpoints may be added if necessary:� Prior to the start of work� Immediately following surface preparation� Immediately prior to the coating or lining application� Following the application of each coat� Following the curing of the coating or lining� At final inspection and sign off, in accordance with job

specifications

Document ControlThe inspector should have sufficient inspection

forms and records to show verification to the specification.Specific items required for documentation may vary depend-ing on the job specification. Some specifications requirespecified forms or approved standard forms. The inspectorshould determine and understand the frequency of recordingand reporting all documented information prior to beginningthe inspection assignment. Forms should have their ownunique numbering systems along with filing systems forefficient control. Several examples of different types ofreporting forms appear in the appendix at the end of this

chapter.

Pre-Job ConferenceThe inspector, owner’s representative, applicator,

and supplier should attend a pre-job conference. At this time,the inspector should identify any missing, incomplete,unclear, or ambiguous statements and communicate thisinformation to the owner’s representative. All uncertaintiesand differences of interpretation should be resolved anddocumented in writing. Prior to starting the job, the inspector,applicator, and owner’s representative should have a clearunderstanding of the work requirements. In addition theowner should establish in writing the degree of theinspector’s authority to stop work or make any other mana-gerial decisions and communicate this to the applicator. Theinspector must be careful to never overstep this authority.4

Daily Inspection ActivitiesDaily inspection activities vary according specifica-

tion requirements and the level of inspection the inspectorperforms. In order to show conformance to specifications,the inspector should prepare detailed documentation of workthe applicator performs. Inspection records provide a meansof ensuring that deviations from the specification arecorrected prior to final acceptance. In the event that more

than one inspector inspects the work, the records provide ahistory of what has transpired and of the current status of theproject.

Revision LogThe revision log should document the receipt of all

revisions and changes to the specifications and inspectionprocedures. Document issuance of all revised specificationsand verify that all persons involved in the inspection processand the applicator are properly informed of any changes.Verify that all obsolete specifications and procedures have

been removed.

Technical Resources AvailabilityThe inspector should have available at the job site

all necessary standards, quality control inspection proce-dures, and technical references required to verify conform-ance to the job specification. The inspector may be required

to have some the following available:� SSPC Painting Manual Volume 2—Systems and Specifica-tions. SSPC: Pittsburgh.� SSPC-PA 2. Measurement of Dry Coat Thickness withMagnetic Gages; SSPC: Pittsburgh.� SSPC Visual Standards applicable to the specified work.� Protective Coating Inspection Standards for Field andShop Applications; ASTM, 2nd ed.; ASTM: WestConshohocken, PA.� Updated material supplier technical data sheets and writtenrecommendations.� Applicable required copies of SSPC, NACE, ASTM,NAVSEA, AWWA, API, and ISO standards, procedures, andguidelines.

Calibration VerificationCalibration of inspection equipment should be

performed by qualified persons using industry acceptedstandards and procedures. A certificate of calibration isissued and the equipment is labeled as being calibrated. Theinspector in the field can only verify that the equipment usedto perform inspections is calibrated according to industryaccepted standards and procedures. The inspector shoulddocument the verification of all calibration according tospecification requirements and standard procedures.Normally the following information is required to showverification:� Equipment type and serial number� Required frequency and calibration method� Record of calibration data� Signature and date of person performing calibrationverification

Quality Control__________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

13

Daily Work LogA description of the inspector’s daily duties should

be recorded in the daily work log. Supplemental data thatcannot be recorded on standard forms should also berecorded in the daily work log. These should be objectiveobservations, not “intuition” or “guesswork.” They should beindependent, not reflecting bias for or against the applicatoror owner.4

Daily Inspection ReportThe inspection daily report is probably the single

most important document. The inspector should recordobservations and measurements on the coating job condi-tions as required, and note any hold points. This may includethe following:� Weather and site conditions� Pre-surface condition and cleanliness� Surface preparation monitoring� Post-surface preparation and monitoring of cleanliness andprofile� Pre-application surface cleanliness� Coating material preparation and application� Physical film properties or appearance properties� Dry film thickness measurements according to specifica-tions or industry standards such as SSPC-PA 2. Measure-ment of Dry Coat Thickness with Magnetic Gages; SSPC:Pittsburgh.� Verification of corrective actions prior to final approval� Drawings, sketches, or photographs indicating where workoccurred and to document the cumulative work progress� Record of instruments used to obtain measurements andcalibration verification

� Record of applicator’s equipment and personnel

Nonconformance and Corrective ActionsDeviations or non-conformances from specifications

and stop-work orders should be documented and correctiveactions issued. Corrective actions taken to resolve devia-tions from specifications and procedures should be approvedprior to restarting work. Follow-up of the corrective actionsshould be verified prior to final approval. Any specificationissues that were not resolved should be further documented

as to show nonconformance to the specification.

Photographic RecordPhotographs of the coating inspection work taken

by the inspector should be documented in such a mannerthat pictures can be properly identified. When possible theinspector should try to use the time/date stamp available onmany cameras. A record showing location, area, andconditions along with the corresponding number of thephotograph should be noted. Undeveloped film should beproperly stored and labeled until the film is developed.

Management ReviewManagement should schedule and perform in-

process review on an ongoing basis. Inspection documenta-tion and records should be checked for accuracy in identify-ing problems that may need to be resolved. The reviewshould be recorded and brought to the attention of the

person responsible for the problem.

Post-Job

RecordkeepingAfter completing the inspection activities verify that

all required entries and supporting notes have been madeand are legible. Signatures and dates required in documen-tation should be verified. Furnish any photographs (with datetaken and other identification on back of photo) and othersupplemental documentation. Deliver or retain all documen-

tation as required by contract or specification.

TraceabilityMany times inspection records and documentation

are required to be properly stored for a set period of time.Completed inspection records and documentation should befiled and organized in a manner that makes them easily

accessible.

SummaryQuality control for protective coating projects begins

prior to project start up and continues after project comple-tion. Many times, inspection is considered the primary qualitycontrol activity. Specification review, documentation issu-ance, calibration verification, and corrective action follow-upare equally important. Standards and procedures needed toperform proper inspection need to be available and under-stood by all inspection personnel. The inspector shoulddevelop and follow a written inspection plan.

Records and support documents required to verifyconformance with specifications should be filled out in aconsistent and timely matter. Inspection equipment shouldbe properly maintained and calibration verified as required.Deviations or nonconformances from specifications mustalso be properly documented and all corrective actions

verified prior to final approval.All records and documents should be reviewed and

organized in a consistent filing system. Proper storage of allrecords and documents allows for easy access should theybe required at a latter date for review.

References1. Glossary. In The Inspection of Coatings and Linings;Appleman, Bernard R., ed; SSPC: Pittsburgh, 1997; p 429.2. Windler, Frank J. Quality Control: A Necessary Factor in

Quality Control_____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

14

SSPC Contractor Certification. Journal of Protective Coat-ings and Linings; April 1988, pp 32–37.3. Bechtel Power Corp. Coating and Lining InspectionManual; SSPC: Pittsburgh, 1991; Chapter 2.4. Drisko, Richard W. Reviewing and Preparing InspectionDocuments. In The Inspection of Coatings and Linings;Appleman, Bernard R., ed; SSPC: Pittsburgh, 1997; pp 13–

32.

About the AuthorThomas A. Jones is the senior technical auditor at SSPC,performing audits for the painting contractor certificationprogram (PCCP). He has over 25 years experience in theprotective coatings industry working in quality controlinspection, project management, and technical service. He isthe cofounder of the SSPC South Texas Chapter and iscertified as a SSPC protective coatings specialist (PCS),NACE coatings inspector, and a NAVSEA inspector (NPBI)instructor. He is also the co-executive editor of this book. Mr.Jones received his BA degree from Texas A&M-CorpusChristi.

AcknowledgementsThe author and the editors gratefully acknowledge AustinPaint Inspection for providing samples of their quality controland inspection forms.

Quality Control__________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

15

Quality Control_____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

16

Quality Control__________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

17

Quality Control_____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

18

Quality Control__________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

19

Quality Control_____________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

20

Quality Control__________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

21