SSPC QP1

APPLICATION, INSTRUCTIONS, AND

PROGRAM RULES
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Introduction....................................................................................................................................... 3
II. Initial Application Instructions .......................................................................................................... 4
A. Filling out the application: ............................................................................................................ 4
B. Compiling the required items as listed in the application: ........................................................... 4
C. Submitting the application: .......................................................................................................... 4
III. General Program Procedure .......................................................................................................... 4
IV. QP1 Application Form for the SSPC Painting Contractor Certification Program,
Field Coating of Complex Industrial/marine Steel/Metal Structures............................................... 6
V. Required Information ...................................................................................................................... 9
VI. Evaluation Checklist....................................................................................................................... 9
A. Management Procedures ............................................................................................................ 9
B. Administrative and Management Procedures ............................................................................. 9
C. Technical Capabilities ................................................................................................................. 9
D. Quality Control (QC).................................................................................................................. 10
E. Environmental, Health and Safety (EH&S)................................................................................ 10
VII. QP-1 Fee Schedule (In U.S. Funds) Effective February 2013 ................................................... 10
VIII. Submittal Procedure .................................................................................................................. 11
IX. Evaluation Process ...................................................................................................................... 11
X. Cancellation of Audit Policy .......................................................................................................... 11
XI. Critical Item Provision .................................................................................................................. 12
A. Critical Evaluation Items (20 total) ............................................................................................ 12
B. Determination of Status ............................................................................................................. 12
C. Appeal Procedure ..................................................................................................................... 13
D. Internal Audit ............................................................................................................................. 13
XII. Maintenance Applications ........................................................................................................... 13
XIII. Special Provisions...................................................................................................................... 14
A. Major Changes in a Company’s Organization........................................................................... 14
B. Suspension for Non-Payment of Fees ...................................................................................... 15
C. Formal Complaint Procedure .................................................................................................... 15
D. Subcontracting Work ................................................................................................................. 15
E. Joint Ventures and Auditing ...................................................................................................... 16
F. Reporting Work and Citation History on Application ................................................................. 16
G. Administrative Suspension and Change of Company Name .................................................... 17
XIV. Random Audit Program (RAP) (QP1 and QP2 only) ................................................................. 17
A. Contractor Eligibility Requirements for the Random Audit Program: ........................................ 17
B. Loss of Eligibility for the Random Audit Program ...................................................................... 17
C. Restoration of Random Audit Program Eligibility: ..................................................................... 18
D. Duration of Random Audit Program Eligibility (3 years): ........................................................... 18
E. Application for RAP Eligibility .................................................................................................... 18
XV. Scoring ....................................................................................................................................... 18
XVI. QP1 Appendix A ........................................................................................................................ 19
A. General Description................................................................................................................... 19
B. Contents of the Program - General Training and Qualification Requirements .......................... 19
C. Qualification To Apply Specific Material and Use New Equipment ........................................... 19
D. Supervisor ................................................................................................................................. 19
E. CAS (Coating Application Specialist Certification Program) ..................................................... 20
F. Annual Performance Evaluation ................................................................................................ 20
XVII. QP1 Appendix B ....................................................................................................................... 21
A. QCS Formal Training Course (SSPC QCS or equivalent): ....................................................... 21

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 Application Form, Instructions, and Program Rules / SSPC QP1

I. Introduction
SSPC developed the Painting Contractor Certification Program (PCCP) to verify capabilities of Contractors performing
industrial surface preparation and coating application in the field. The program’s objective is to determine if an
industrial/marine coatings contractor has the personnel, organization, qualifications, procedures, knowledge, and
capability to produce quality surface preparation and coating application on complex industrial and marine steel and metal
structures and components. Complex industrial and marine structures are defined as those constructed of steel such as
metal producing and rolling mills, bridges and processing facilities, including chemical and petrochemical processing
plants, pulp and paper mills, power plants and substations, food and beverage plants, terminals, storage tanks, Navy and
commercial vessels. Complex structures also include any steel or metal components or sections affixed to a steel
structure.

Please note that the SSPC QP1 Certification process does not involve inspection of the contractor’s coating work or
training of its personnel. It does not cover coating application capability conducted exclusively at a contractor’s fixed blast
and paint shop facility nor does it cover installation of protective coatings on concrete or other non-metallic substrates.
Shop painting is covered by the QP3 Certification Program (see http://www.sspc.org/qp-programs/qp-for-contractors/).
The QP8 Certification covers coating concrete: Installation of Polymer Coatings and Surfacings on Concrete and
Other Cementitious Surfaces (http://www.sspc.org/qp-programs/qp-for-contractors/qp-8/).

Finally, the program is not intended to guarantee the quality or safety performance of a specific Contractor on any of its
projects. Rather, it is intended to assist facility owners in their evaluation of the primary technical capabilities of
professional industrial/marine coating contractors. While SSPC certification confirms a company’s capability to meet the
requirements of SSPC QP1, owners, specifiers and general contractors can also assess the painting contractor’s financial
ability to perform a specific job as well as the contractor’s previous work history, capability to meet project-specific
requirements, and other areas not covered under this program. To better ensure the success of a project, owners should
write quality specifications, implement a plan to enforce the requirements of the specification through appropriate quality
assurance and establish a plan to maintain good communication with the Contractor before work begins and during the
project. This, is in addition to ensuring that the Contractor is capable of performing the work.

This package contains information and materials needed to apply for SSPC QP1 Certification. You will find copies of this
application and all other documents detailing program requirements, related procedures, clarifications, etc., on SSPC
Online at http://www.sspc.org. Contractors who desire program information but who do not have access to the Internet
can also contact the SSPC staff Certification Coordinator directly for copies of any and all program related documents at
(877-281-7772) X2209 or by email: certification@sspc.org.

While every precaution is taken to ensure that all information furnished in this document is accurate and complete, SSPC
cannot assume responsibility nor incur any obligation resulting from the use or misuse of the methods contained herein, or
of the program itself.

Important Note: Contractors applying for SSPC QP1 certification must demonstrate a history of compliance with QP1
quality and safety requirements.
To be eligible for an initial QP1 audit, applicants meet the following criteria:
1) Shall be a legal entity (e.g., incorporated; assigned a Federal Tax I.D.) under the name on its application for a minimum
of 18 consecutive months prior to submitting its application; and
2) Shall be owned, during the 18-month period prior to submitting its application, by the same owner or owners that own
the company at the time it submits its application; and
3) Shall have successfully completed at least two projects or one extended project or phase or phases of an extended
project with a cumulative 12 months of production on projects falling within the scope of the QP certification being applied
for prior to submitting its application. For example, QP-1 applicants shall have completed industrial painting work in the
field on industrial steel structures; Relevant projects completed by the contractor shall add up to a minimum of 12 months
of production work, which includes time spent mobilizing, rigging, performing surface preparation, performing coating
application, and demobilization); and
4) Shall have implemented applicable QP critical item procedures for at least 12 cumulative production months prior to
submitting its application. In other words, the contractor shall demonstrate that the company implemented QP-1 critical
item procedures on projects for at least 12 production months prior to submittal of its initial application. See No. 3 above
for a summary of production activities.
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 Meeting the above prerequisites shall be confirmed by the Certification Program Manager to the extent practical prior to
accepting an application for QP certification and affirmed during the initial audit by the SSPC technical auditor.

II. Initial Application Instructions

A. Filling out the application:

Fill out the information requested in the beginning of the application with proper signatures and include this with the
submittal items.

B. Compiling the required items as listed in the application:

The submittal items are listed in detail and have been numbered for clarity in Section VI below. Compiling the information
in a three-ring binder (hard copy) or in an organized digital format is required to keep all material in order. Provide each
item (documents) as listed in the application and “tab” and “label” each item as it is referenced in the application. This
practice will save time during the initial review process. After the initial review, if any of the items (documents) are missing,
SSPC will notify you and will not continue the review until the missing items are provided. This is why it is important to
reference the submittal items, so that both the contractor and SSPC can confirm that all the necessary information has
been submitted.

C. Submitting the application:

You must provide SSPC with either an original hard copy or one digital copy for review. SSPC recommends that you keep
a copy in case the application and submittal is lost or damaged.

Fees: Must be provided to SSPC when submitting the application for review. SSPC accepts checks and credit cards.
Credit card payments can be taken over the phone (1-877-281-7772 Ext. 2209).

After the application is reviewed by SSPC:

Once the initial application review process is complete and your application and submittal package is accepted by SSPC,
SSPC assigns it to an auditor The auditor will contact you to schedule your initial audit which consists of a visit to your
headquarters office and one or two active job sites under contract to your company where the auditors can evaluate your
company’s capability. Selection of the auditor to conduct your audit is determined by SSPC. SSPC will consider
assigning a different auditor to conduct your audit where there is a documented conflict of interest.

If you have questions regarding the submittal process, please contact the Certification Coordinator at 1-877-281-7772 or
412-281-2331 X2209 or by email: certification@sspc.org.

III. General Program Procedure

The SSPC QP1 certification process contains this sequence of procedures that you must follow:
A. Complete the application form found in Item III.
B. Gather and prepare the required information outlined in Item III following the application.
C. Send SSPC the application, submittal items, and appropriate non-refundable administrative fee and the required
audit deposit.
D. SSPC staff will review your application and submittals within 4 working days following receipt. If everything is in
order and SSPC accepts your application and submittal, SSPC will schedule an on-site audit. If not, SSPC will
indicate what must be done, or what additional information is required, to complete the submittal. Note: The
initial job site visit will most likely be announced, and may be performed at one or two job sites selected by SSPC.
E. An SSPC program auditor will conduct the evaluation at one or two active (complex structure) job sites, to verify
conformance with QP1 requirements. The audit usually takes two to three days to complete, and always includes
a visit to your offices and one or two active (complex structure) job sites that are representative of work that your
company performs. Note: The auditor may also review randomly selected project files on projects listed in your
submittal. These files as well as management and production personnel familiar with those projects must be
available during the audit for an initial audit to be completed. The auditor must visit your headquarters office as
part of the initial audit.
F. It is important to know what information must be available at the job site to show the auditor during the audit. This
information can be found on the SSPC web site at http://www.sspc.org/qp-programs/qp-for-contractors/, click on
“Jobsite Audit Needs.” At the end of the audit, the auditor will schedule an exit interview for the purpose of
advising you of any findings, corrective actions, or concerns cited or noted during the audit.

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G. If your firm has a qualifying score, SSPC will certify your company for a three-year period subject to its ability to
maintain program standards. Your company’s ability to maintain certification standards during the three year
certification term is confirmed through: (1) annual announced and unannounced audits which your company must
undergo at least once in each of the three years of the certification term; (2) your company’s ability to adhere to
the program’s administrative rules; (3) avoidance of disciplinary actions as described in the Disciplinary Action
Criteria (DAC). The certification term lapses after three years. If your firm does not qualify, you have up to 45
days after SSPC notifies you of your audit results to submit an acceptable written corrective action plan to correct
deficiencies, change system procedures and request a follow-up audit. If you don’t submit acceptable corrective
actions within 45 days, SSPC has the option to revoke your certification. Corrective Actions must be filed on line
at: http://www.sspc.org/capform/
H. The program provides for an appeal procedure, should you choose to contest audit findings.

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IV. QP1 Application Form for the SSPC Painting Contractor Certification Program, Field
Coating of Complex Industrial/Marine Steel/Metal Structures
Instructions: The application form is used to provide information that will aid in evaluating and rating your firm. To avoid
delays in carrying out the evaluation process, you must answer all questions accurately and truthfully. Information must
be either typed or clearly printed. Please send SSPC a printed copy or one digital copy of your completed
application and all submittals with the correct non-refundable fees.

1. Company Name:__________________________________________________________________

Principal Officer/Title:_______________________________________________________________

Company Address: ________________________________________________________________

City: _____________________________State: ___________Zip: ___________

E-mail Address: ___________________________________________________________________

Web Site Address (if applicable): ______________________________________________________

Telephone (include Area Code): ______________________________________________________

Fax Number:______________________________ Federal I.D.#/EIN:________________________

(enclose copy of Fed I.D./EIN notification from the IRS or equivalent form for non USA-based Contractors)

2. Branch / Division Office Address (if more than one, please submit a list of branch / division offices with the
information requested in Question 1:
Company Name:__________________________________________________________________

Principal Officer/Title:_______________________________________________________________

Company Address: ________________________________________________________________

City: _____________________________State: ___________Zip: ___________

E-mail Address: ___________________________________________________________________

Web Site Address (if applicable): ______________________________________________________

Telephone (include Area Code): ______________________________________________________

Fax Number:______________________________ Federal I.D.#/EIN:________________________

(enclose copy of Fed I.D./EIN notification from the IRS or equivalent form for non USA based Contractors)

3. Ownership: Private Ownership o Sole Proprietorship o Partnership o

Corporation o Publicly Traded Stock Ownership o

4. Years your company has operated under name listed in Question #1:_________________________
If less than 5 years, list previous names/owners below:

Previous Name/Owner:____________________________ From: _____________ To:______________

Previous Name/Owner:____________________________ From: _____________ To:______________

Is the location listed in 1 the main place of business? o Yes o No

5. Has your company undergone (within the past 18 months) or is it planning to undergo any significant changes (e.g.
name change; change in ownership; Chapter 7, 11, or 13; purchase or takeover of another contracting firm; joint
venture/partnership with another contractor; executive management personnel changes, etc.) o Yes o No
If yes, please attach an explanation that meets the notification requirements described in Item X, Part A, “Major
Changes in a Company’s Organization.”
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6. Field Audit of an Active Job Site. The certification program requires the auditor to conduct a field visit to one or two
active complex structure job sites. List location of jobs in progress where job site audits can be conducted. (Please
include any restrictions below such as special safety requirements, facial hair, security clearances, access
requirements, etc.)

6a. Job Site:____________________________________________________________________

Restrictions:_________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Name, title, and phone number (including cell phone) of your contact person on this job site:

___________________________________________________________________________

Day and Time Work Crews on job site: ____________________________________________

6b. Job Site:____________________________________________________________________

Restrictions:_________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Name, title, and phone number (including cell phone) of your contact person on this job site:

___________________________________________________________________________

Day and Time Work Crews on job site: ____________________________________________

6c. Job Site:____________________________________________________________________

Restrictions:_________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Name, title, and phone number (including cell phone) of your contact person on this job site:

___________________________________________________________________________

Day and Time Work Crews on job site: ____________________________________________

7. Current Interstate and Intrastate experience modification rates (EMR) for State/Province of Domicile and Principal
States/ Provinces of Operation. Provide documentation of experience modification rates on your Insurance
Company or State/Provincial Workmen’s Compensation Bureau (Board) letterhead per evaluation item described in
Item IV, Part D. Submit a detailed explanation for any EMR above 1.00.

8. Attach copies of any federal, or state/provincial or local regulatory agency worker safety and health or environmental
non-compliance, or other regulatory violations (e.g. wage and hourly violation) and citations issued to any of your
firm’s industrial painting operations during the previous 36 months. Provide resolution/settlement/notice of contest
documentation if applicable, as well as a brief summary of policy changes and actions your company has taken as a
result of the citations. Submit required copy of appropriate OSHA or equivalent form regarding fatalities that have
occurred on your job sites in the last 36 months.

9. Has your company or any of its personnel been accused/charged/alleged by a Court (Local, State, or Federal) of
involvement in any illegal business practices in the past 36 months: o Yes o No
If yes, please explain below in a separate attachment:

10. List the names and headquarters locations of any industrial/marine coating contractors your company is affiliated
with. An affiliated company is: “A company, corporation, partnership, joint venture, or other business entity
operating under a different name than the certified firm, which performs surface preparation or coating application or
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 administrative and other support functions for the certified company; and in which an officer, director, owner, partner
or stockholder of the certified firm, a previously certified firm disciplined by SSPC, or the certified firm itself, exercises
directly or indirectly (such as through family members) any significant degree of ownership, management or control.”

11. Is your company now, or has it in the past, been associated in any way with a contracting firm operating under
another name, which has been disciplined by the SSPC under the Discipline Action Criteria (DAC)? A copy of the
DAC can be found on SSPC’s web site at: http://www.sspc.org/qp-programs/qp-for-contractors/contractors-dac/.
o Yes o No
If yes, please explain:___________________________________________________________________
12. Are any of your company’s officers, directors, owners, managing agents, or managers now exercising (or have
previously exercised) direct or indirect control, management, or ownership of another contracting firm, which has
been disciplined by the SSPC under the DAC? o Yes o No
If yes, please explain:____________________________________________________________________
If your company has not had such association with a firm previously disciplined under the DAC, please check this
box o.

Note: Failure to answer truthfully or any instance of providing inaccurate information can result in immediate revocation or
denial of certification status or rejection of your application.

13. Has your company been disqualified or disbarred from any bidder’s list in the past 24 months or have you defaulted
on any coating contracts in the same period? oYes o No
If yes, please provide the reason for the disqualification, disbarment, or default and the name of the entity:

14. Attach copy of most recent (12 months) OSHA accident and illness forms. (OSHA Forms 300 and 300A), if US
based.

15. Please submit a copy of your corporate Health and Safety Plan.

16. Average number of workers you’ve employed over preceding 3 years:

17. Is your firm an organizational member of SSPC? o Yes o No

If yes, indicate category of membership: o Patron o Sustaining

Membership Number: _______________________ Date membership expires: ____________________

rd
18. If your company is ISO 9001 (2008) certified (or maintains another 3 party Quality Management System
accreditation), please describe in a separate attachment.
Note: By my Initials and signature below, I acknowledge that I have read and understand:

Initial: __________ The QP1 Certification Program Application Form, Instructions, and Program Rules.

Initial: __________ The QP1 procedure set forth therein.

Initial: __________ The SSPC Disciplinary Action Criteria.

Note: Forms can be found at SSPC’s website www.sspc.org.
As a principal officer of the contractor, I attest that the company agrees to abide by and be bound by the rules,
regulations and procedures set forth therein. (Must be initialed above and signed by the President, Chief Operations
Officer or Chief Executive Officer)

Signed: ____________________________________________________________________________

Printed Name and Title:__________________________________________________________________

Date Submitted:________________________________________________________________________

Certification Fee and Audit Deposit Submitted with this Application: $______________________________

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 Note: Failure to report accurate, complete information will delay your certification evaluation. Omission or falsification of
information or failure to answer all questions truthfully will result in withholding or denial of certification status. Your
firm will be checked against the provisions of the Disciplinary Action Criteria (DAC). If your firm has critical faults
under the DAC, SSPC will reject your application for a time period equivalent to the any specified penalty.

V. Required Information
In order to rate and evaluate your firm, the program uses specific criteria, organized into four business areas outlined
below. The Evaluation Checklist in the following section contains additional information.

Management Procedures: Measures utilized by your company to organize, coordinate, and otherwise manage the
various activities required to prepare surfaces and apply coatings properly.

Technical Capabilities: Resources maintained by your company to properly interpret and execute job specifications and
requirements.

Quality Control: Procedures implemented and maintained by your company to verify that all stages of work are performed
in accordance with contract documents and specifications.

Safety Procedures and Recordkeeping: Practices and procedures used by your company to see that safe operations are
maintained.

Each of these four areas contains several subcategories focusing on your company’s policies, personnel, procedures, and
resources. All items must be submitted in writing with the application. They must be typed on separate sheets of paper
and clearly identified. Documents such as charts or file documents, which already exist, must be submitted and identified
in the same manner. They should be bound or digitized in the order of the evaluation items listed in Section IV, in order to
avoid delays processing your application. All non-public information submitted is treated as confidential.

The auditor will verify and evaluate thirty-nine evaluation items during the on-site audit. The necessary records or files
that you must present at that time include but are not limited to: job files for reported projects, inspection reports,
equipment and maintenance records, Corporate Certification Specialist or etc. Some information will be presented
verbally. The auditor may also evaluate DAC-related items as directed by the Program Administrator.

Item IV lists and describes the thirty-nine required items of information. A score of 2 is required for each (20) critical items
to pass the initial audit.

VI. Evaluation Checklist

This is a list of all items of required information for QP 1 certification. Following each item is a statement telling you
whether it is a critical item. Documentation explaining each item (including “critical items”) must be submitted with your
initial application. To find out what your company must do to meet the requirements for each evaluation item, carefully
review the QP 1 audit checklist before you prepare your submittal package. You can find the QP 1 Audit Checklist on the
SSPC web site at: <http://www.sspc.org/qp-programs/qp-for-contractors/> Click on “Audit Checklist,” then click on “QP 1
Checklist.” All non-public information submitted which describes how your company meets each evaluation
items is treated as confidential.

A. Management Procedures
1. Mission Statement.
2. Procedures for Disseminating Company Policies within the Organization
3. Current Organization Chart
4. Job Descriptions of Key Personnel
B. Administrative and Management Procedures
5. Financial Record Keeping.
6. Contract Review Procedures
7. Procedures for Distributing Project Specifications within the organization
8. Procedures for Learning about and complying with applicable regulations
9. Legal Viability Documentation (e.g., Licenses, Tax returns, IRS Tax ID notification, etc.)
10. Procedures for qualifying and monitoring performance of subcontractors
11. Regulatory Citations issued to the company and company’s response (Critical Item #1)
C. Technical Capabilities
12. Craft Worker Assessment Program including CAS implementation (Critical Item #2)
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 13. Technical Resources and Standards Library (Critical Item #3)
14. Document Control Procedures
15. Procedures for Clarifying Ambiguous, Conflicting, Incorrect Specifications (Critical Item #4)
16. Communication of Contract and Technical Requirements to Field Personnel (Critical Item #5)
17. Quality Control Program (Critical Item #6)
18. Production Work Plans/Process Control Procedures (Critical Item #7)
19. Industrial/Marine Coating Projects Completed within previous 24 months (Critical Item #8)
20. List of any Defaults, Contract Terminations, and Litigations related to Project Work, Disbarments, etc.
21. Equipment Maintenance and Repair Program

D. Quality Control (QC)

22. Name, Qualifications/Experience of Quality Control Supervisor (Critical Item #9)
23. Qualifications of Quality Control (QC) Coating Inspectors (Critical Item #10)
24. Daily Inspection Reports used by QC Coating Inspectors (Critical Item #11)
25. Procedures for Calibration and Verification of Inspection Equipment Accuracy (Critical Item #12)
26. Procedures for Handling Non-conforming Work and Requests for Deviation
From Specification (DFS) (Critical Item #13)
27. Corrective Action Procedures (Critical Item #14)

E. Environmental, Health and Safety (EH & S)

28. Name, Qualifications/Experience of Environmental, Health and Safety Officer (Critical Item #15)
29. Safety and Health Program (Critical Item #16)
30. Pre-job Hazard Identification Process
31. Accident Reporting Procedure
32. Procedures for Monitoring of Safety and Loss Control
33. Operating Procedures for Major Equipment (Critical Item #17)
34. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Program (Critical Item #18)
35. First Aid Program & First Aid Trained Personnel
36. Procedures and Policies for Enforcing Safety Program (Critical Item #19)
37. Availability of Safety Information to Job Site Personnel
38. “General” Environmental Compliance Program (Critical Item #20)

VII. QP-1 Fee Schedule (In U.S. Funds) Effective December 2012
Admin Fee Sustaining Member Patron Member Non-Member

QP1 Initial and New Term $3,000 $3,000 $3,000

QP1 Maintenance $2,100 $2,400 $2,700
QP1 Corrective Action
$300 $550 $800
Verification

Firms applying for certification must submit, with their application, the applicable administrative fee plus audit deposit to
cover anticipated audit expenses. Determine your audit expense deposit from the following:
Audit Deposit
Initial and New Term Audit $3,000
Annual Maintenance Audit $2,500
*Outside US/Canada/Mexico – Add $1,000

Example: If your company is an SSPC Patron member applying for initial QP 1 certification, submit $5,400 ($2,400
Administrative Fee + $3,000 Anticipated Audit Expense).

• Audits are performed at cost. If your audit expenses are less than the deposit you submit, SSPC will refund the
difference. If expenses are higher, SSPC will bill you for documented additional expenses.
• Fees must be paid in advance of the audit. Certification will be withheld until all post-audit expenses are paid. Post
audit fees for QP 1 deficiency audits or additional audit expenses are payable when due. Failure to pay these fees in
a timely manner (see IX, B below) can result in a six-month suspension from the program and public notification of
the suspension. If fees are still not paid after the suspension, SSPC will decertify your firm.
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 • Note: The fees cover the cost of staff time to review and process your application package and submittals, and fees
and expenses for the on site evaluation, and associated overhead costs required to operate the PCCP. Program
fees are non-refundable regardless of the results of the evaluation. SSPC will withhold $500 for application
processing expenses if a firm decides to withdraw its application prior to scheduling of the field evaluation.
• “Non-responsive” and “inactive” applications will be returned to the applicant, less a $500 non-refundable
administrative processing fee after six months of inactive status.
Important Note: Maintenance applications are due 15 December. SSPC will assess a $500 late fee for
maintenance applications received by SSPC between 16 December and 31 March

VIII. Submittal Procedure

To avoid delay, gather and submit application package materials as follows:
1. Type or clearly print all entries on the application form.
2. Be certain all items on the form are answered completely and accurately.
3. Send the original of the application package to SSPC. Keep a copy on hand for your use at the on-site audit.
4. Clearly identify the submittal items included with the application. Secure all pages in a binder to minimize chance of
loss or separation. Organize submittal items in the order listed in Section IV.
5. Determine and send the non-refundable administrative fee/audit deposit using the fee schedule described in Item V
above. Make check payable to: SSPC Painting Contractor Certification Program.
6. Mail the entire application package to:
US MAIL AND DELIVERY SERVICE ADDRESS
SSPC: The Society for Protective Coatings/ ATTN: Certification Coordinator
800 Trumbull Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15205-4365

IX. Evaluation Process

SSPC performs the evaluation of your firm based on the current (2012) version of SSPC-QP1: Standard Procedure for
Evaluating Qualifications of Painting Contractors: Field Application to Complex Structures and the QP 1 audit evaluation
checklist already mentioned at the beginning of section IV above.
Upon acceptance of the application and submittals by SSPC, the application and submittal package is forwarded to the
SSPC auditor assigned by SSPC to your company to schedule and conduct the initial audit.

When a date and time has been selected for the initial audit, mutually agreed upon, and confirmed in writing or verbally by
you and the SSPC auditor, the auditor will visit your office and job site(s) to perform the evaluation. The job site visits may
take place before or after the office visit and may be unannounced or done on short notice.

Note: In order for SSPC to deem the audit complete, the SSPC auditor must visit at least one active job site to observe
operations being performed as well as equipment and material, personnel and documentation on site. During the audit,
the auditor will:
• Confirm data submitted in the application package.
• Interview key supervisory personnel.
• Observe and rate company organization and operation (including field operations), using the standard program
guidelines and rating procedures.
• Examine and rate equipment and facilities.
• Schedule an Exit Interview

At the conclusion of the audit, the auditor will schedule an exit interview with your supervisory or management personnel
to review audit findings rated “2” and “less than 2” and any concerns. If there are any findings, the auditor will fill out a
deficiency schedule for the employee, designated as your representative, to sign at the conclusion of the audit. Your
representative’s signature does not connote agreement with the results. It only confirms that you have been made aware
of the results. Refusal to sign the deficiency schedule results in denial of certification.

If you choose to contest audit findings, you must notify the SSPC Certification Program Manager, in writing, within 10
working days after the Exit Interview. It is your responsibility to confirm with the Certification Program Manager that SSPC
has received your notice contesting any audit findings.

X. Cancellation of Audit Policy

If after the audit date has been agreed upon by both your representative and SSPC, and confirmed in writing or
verbally, you cancel the audit or request a change in the date, you will be responsible for any expenses incurred by
SSPC as a result of the cancellation or rescheduling.

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XI. Critical Item Provision
The QP 1 critical item provision identifies 20 (of the 39 total) evaluation items program auditors use to evaluate
contractors for certification. SSPC has deemed compliance with these 20 items critical to maintaining QP1 certification.
The provision requires the contractor to score a minimum of two (2) on a scale of 1 to 3, on a minimum of 18 critical
evaluation items in order to achieve and maintain certification.

SSPC allows applicants who have not attained an adequate score, 45 days to: make corrections in the deficient areas,
submit a corrective action plan to change system procedures, and ask for a follow up audit. That same 45-day period is
available to program members unable to achieve the required minimum score on a minimum of 18 critical evaluation items
during annual on site maintenance or follow up audits.

For initial applicants, SSPC will withhold certification until: corrections are made, required procedures are put in place and
SSPC can verify implementation at a follow up audit, if necessary, and a passing score is achieved during any follow up
audit.

For program members unable to achieve the required score during an annual audit (which at a minimum consists of an
evaluation of all 20 critical items), SSPC provides 45 days to submit an acceptable corrective action plan and request a
follow up audit.

If a program member is deficient in no more than 2 critical items upon completion of the annual maintenance audit or any
follow up audit, SSPC will extend certification status until any follow up evaluation is successfully completed. If the
program member receives a rating of less than two for more than 2 critical items, this shall be cause for SSPC to suspend
certification status for up to six months, pending receipt and acceptance of written corrective actions and any required
verification through a follow up audit. If submission of a required CAP (Corrective Action Plan) is not received (or post-
marked) by the established deadline and there are no mitigating circumstances, SSPC will revoke certification. If the
required corrective action plan(s) is submitted on time but rejected and SSPC requests a revised CAP and the revised
CAP is not submitted by the second deadline established by SSPC, this will also be cause to revoke certification.

Note: Refer to the Special Provisions section for information regarding Joint Ventures and Auditing.

A. Critical Evaluation Items (20 total)

1. Regulatory Citations and Follow Up Procedures
2. Craft worker Assessment including CAS Implementation
3. Technical Resources and Standards Library
4. Procedures for Clarifying Ambiguous, Conflicting, Incorrect Specifications
5. Communication of Contract and Technical Requirements to Field Personnel
6. Quality Control Program
7. Production Work Plans or Process Control Procedures
8. Industrial/Marine Coating Projects Completed within previous 24 months
9. Name, Qualifications/Experience of Quality Control Supervisor
10. Qualifications of Quality Control (QC) Coating Inspectors
11. Daily Inspection Reports used by QC Coating Inspectors
12. Procedures for Calibration and Verification of Inspection Equipment Accuracy
13. Procedures for Handling Non-conforming Work and Requests for Deviation
From Specification (DFS)
14. Corrective Action Procedures
15. Name, Qualifications and Experience of Environmental, Health and Safety Officer
16. Written Corporate Safety and Health Program
17. Operating Procedures for Major Equipment
18. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Program
19. Procedures and Policies for Enforcing Safety Programs
20. “General” Environmental Compliance Program

B. Determination of Status
At the conclusion of the evaluation process described in Part IV, the SSPC Technical Auditor will report audit findings
to the SSPC Certification Program Manager. The SSPC QP Program Administrator (Department Director) will make
the final decision regarding your status. Those decisions are either:
1. Confer Certification: Your Company achieved required scores and has no unresolved disciplinary actions.
2. Deny Qualification: Your firm has not attained a score adequate to achieve QP 1 certification or has
unresolved disciplinary actions. You then have 45 days after written notification of audit results to submit an
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 acceptable corrective action plan to address deficiencies, and any unresolved disciplinary actions and request
that SSPC re-evaluate, and conduct a follow up audit(s) as necessary to verify implementation of your
corrective action plan(s).

C. Appeal Procedure
During the audit exit interview, the auditor will document and explain all deficiencies cited during the audit. If you
dispute any of the audit findings, you may appeal, using the steps listed below.
1. You must notify the SSPC Certification Program Manager in writing within 10 working days of the exit
Interview, specifically identifying the deficiencies you are appealing, and substantively explaining why you
dispute them. (This includes providing supporting documentation for each deficiency being contested.) As
stated earlier, it is your responsibility to confirm with the Certification Program Manager that your appeal has
been received in a timely manner.
2. SSPC will evaluate your written appeal and notify you in writing whether SSPC accepts your initial appeal
within 30 calendar days of the appeal submission receipt by SSPC. SSPC appeal evaluations will result in
either acceptance of your written appeal (vacating or reducing an audit deficiency from “major to minor”) or
denial of the appeal (sustaining the findings). Following denial of any appeal, the Contractor has the option to
accept the SSPC appeal resolution and submit a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) which may require a follow up
audit to verify CAP implementation. Finally, an appeal denial by SSPC could also result in a QP suspension
up to 1 year.
3. The Contractor can continue the appeal process by requesting an informal conference in writing and within 10
business days of the appeal denial. The informal conference will be held at SSPC headquarters in Pittsburgh,
PA in order to allow the Contractor to further explain its position and request a different outcome.
4. The final option for the Contractor wishing to continue with the appeal is to utilize the existing Disciplinary
Action Criteria (DAC) Arbitration Panel Procedure to resolve the matter. Refer to the DAC for details.

D. Internal Audit
Conducting a minimum of one annual internal audit is required in each year of certification after initial certification.
SSPC recommends using the QP 1 audit checklist to perform your internal audit and recommends conducting one at
each job site.

Your customers are given an opportunity to comment directly to SSPC at any time on your company’s performance.
All comments will be treated as confidential and will be used to determine if your company satisfactorily completed a
project or phase of a project. Documented complaints alleging that your company is not complying with QP1
requirements may result in SSPC conducting a special audit for probable cause. Failure to pass the aforementioned
annual or any follow-up audits can result in SSPC suspending your company’s certification. See Item H,
“Maintenance Applications” for specific rules governing maintenance of QP 1 certification status after initial
certification.

IMPORTANT: Failure to cooperate with the program auditor or SSPC Certification Program Manager or Program
Administrator, or failure to provide access to data, personnel, or on site premises, or failure to be truthful SSPC shall
be sufficient cause for denial, suspension or revocation of your firm’s certification status at the Program
Administrator’s discretion.

XII. Maintenance Applications

The SSPC QP 1 certification term is three years. To verify that your operations remain in compliance with certification
standards during that period, the program requires that SSPC evaluate your firm at least once in each of the second
and third years of the term. The evaluation may be announced or unannounced. Additional audits may be performed at
SSPC’s discretion.

To maintain uninterrupted certification status, you must reapply for certification annually by December 15. You must
submit a maintenance application, a signed internal audit report completion statement, list of applicable (i.e., complex
industrial/marine structure) work in progress and completed since the last evaluation and evidence of successful
completion of your projects, current safety information and maintenance fee by the December 15 due date. The
necessary forms and applications can be found on SSPC’s web site at: http://www.sspc.org/qp-programs/qp-for-
contractors/. Follow the appropriate links to the QP 1 maintenance application. SSPC will assess a $500 late
application fee for any maintenance applications submitted after December 15. SSPC also reserves the right to reject
any maintenance applications submitted after March 31 and require the contractor submitting the late application to
reapply as an initial applicant.

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 SSPC will make every effort to send you a reminder letter approximately 45 days before the December 15 submittal due
date as a reminder to reapply. If you fail to reapply when your submittal is due, your company’s certification will expire
and your firm will be decertified. SSPC will send a letter to any contractor who has failed to reapply as a reminder that
certification has expired. Note: You are responsible for ensuring that SSPC has your current mailing address, phone
and fax numbers, etc. Failure to receive a reminder letter from SSPC does not relieve you of the responsibility to submit
your renewal application when due.

Once you have reapplied, the annual evaluation (complex industrial/marine structure job site[s] and possibly office visit)
must take place within the calendar year barring any mitigating circumstances, or your certification will expire. Note:
Job records for projects reported in the annual submittal and those for which a job notification is on file are subject to
review during a maintenance audit and should be available if the auditor asks for them. Note that it is mandatory to
show the auditor an active job site during the annual audit. SSPC reserves the right to audit any project being performed
by an SSPC QP Certified contractor that involves surface preparation or coating application and cure on an
industrial/marine structure. Such projects are eligible for an SSPC audit regardless of whether: (1) the job is “reportable”
or; (2) whether the project requires QP certification or; (3) whether there’s a formal coating specification or written
contract in place for the work. If you are unsure whether a project you are performing is eligible for an audit, please
contact the SSPC Certification Program Manager for clarification. If you have active work and have not been audited
prior September 1, you are obligated to inform the SSPC Certification Program Manager so the audit can be conducted
to avoid a situation where you have no work to show for the annual audit. Contractors who have no active work face
loss of certification, in the absence of mitigating circumstances. Note too that a visit to a second job site within a 100
mile radius of the first site visited on the same audit trip is considered “one” audit for sampling purposes.

Important Note: SSPC reserves the right to suspend Contractors who fail two consecutive certification maintenance /
annual audits for up to 12 months following failure of the second audit. Note that corrective action verification audits
following a failed audit are not considered maintenance / annual audits. Probable cause audits are considered the
equivalent of an annual maintenance audit if the contractor has not yet had its annual audit.

Contractors who fail the annual maintenance evaluation will be given up to 45 days after notification of audit results to
submit a Corrective Action Plan and request that SSPC re-evaluate and also conduct a follow up audit. SSPC reserves
the right to withhold certification from firms who fail a maintenance or follow-up evaluation until a Corrective Action Plan
(CAP) is submitted and accepted by SSPC. [SSPC may opt, in certain cases, to extend the company’s certification
status following acceptance of a CAP for a limited period subject to specified conditions.]

Contractors placed on suspension for failing a maintenance audit during their certification term will be formally notified in
writing (e.g. by certified letter and email) of the suspension.
1. The contractor is given up to 45 days from notification to make corrections and submit an acceptable
corrective action plan and be re-audited, if determined by the Program Adminstrator.
2. The contractor is asked to return original certificates, and
3. The contractor is not to represent itself as a QP 1 certified contractor during the suspension period

During a suspension period the contractor's name will be removed from SSPC web site search of QP certified
contractors. Contractors will be formally notified in writing when a suspension is lifted. When SSPC reinstates
certification status, it will reissue valid certificates and add the contractor’s name back to the web site search of QP 1
certified contractors.

Note: Contractors in the Random Audit Program (RAP) are normally exempt from undergoing the mandatory annual audit.
However, a contractor in the RAP is subject to selection for an audit at random by SSPC.

XIII. Special Provisions

A. Major Changes in a Company’s Organization
SSPC certified contracting firms are required to notify the SSPC Certification Program Manager or Program
Administrator in writing within 30 days of any major organizational or name change. Examples of a major change
include, but are not limited to, the following:
• change in ownership
• partnership/joint venture arrangement- or change in existing partnership status
• change in executive management (e.g. President, CEO; General Manager)
• declaration of bankruptcy
• incorporation or change in corporate status
• name change
• becoming a subsidiary
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 • change to sole proprietorship
• Relocation of main or branch business offices or opening of new branch offices

The notification shall include the following information:

• specific details about changes
• revised organizational and responsibility chart
• effective dates of change
• names of officers of reorganized company
• any change in tax identification/EIN number, federal or state. (Submit statement from IRS or Secretary of your
state assigning new Tax I.D./EIN.)

Note: If a company changes federal or state tax I.D. numbers or is incorporated in a new state, it will automatically
have to reapply as a new company. If it is a simple change of name (i.e., John R. Doe Co., Inc., to J.R. Doe, Inc., or a
change in location) incorporated in the same state with the same tax I.D. numbers, a simple transfer of certification
can be authorized after review by the Program Administrator. Contact the SSPC Certification Program Manager if you
are unsure whether an event at your company is considered by SSPC a “major” change in a company’s organization.

SSPC will subsequently schedule a special audit, at the contracting firm’s expense, within 60 days of notification.
SSPC will also schedule another audit, at the contracting firm’s expense, within 6 months after the special (first) audit
to verify that the reorganized company is in fact maintaining the standards of the program. If the company does not
pass the 6-month audit, certification will be rescinded.

No transfer of certification status to a new company will be approved until the company provides SSPC with any
required or requested information and passes the special (first) audit.

Failure to notify the Certification Program Manager or Program Administrator of any major changes within the required
time period can result in an automatic 6-month suspension.

A company, which has changed its name or has otherwise re-organized, must certify in writing that it will assume
responsibility for any disciplinary actions or violations of federal, state and local regulations issued under a former
name. In addition, any violations of the SSPC PCCP program (e.g. written complaints from owners or Disciplinary
Action Criteria [DAC] critical faults) by the firm under its original name will be considered as part of the record of the
firm under its new name.

A company submitting a change of organizational status can request that SSPC waive the requirement for a special
(first) audit before approving any transfer. SSPC will evaluate each request and reserves the right to waive the
requirement at its own discretion. Requests to have the audit waived must be submitted at the time of notification of
the organizational change.

B. Suspension for Non-Payment of Fees

Failure to pay all fees in a timely manner will result in a six-month suspension from the program and public notification
of the suspension. SSPC will notify a firm of its suspension if it fails to respond within (3) three business days to the
final (second) notice of non-payment. SSPC will also withhold issuing certification for initial and annual renewal
applicants who pass the evaluation but still have fees due.

C. Formal Complaint Procedure

Any authorized representative of an owner who hires a QP1 certified painting contractor could file a formal complaint
against the contractor if the representative has information that the contracting firm does not practice QP1 certification
procedures. The contractor may respond to the complaint by submitting information supporting its position to SSPC.
Documented complaints by an owner or its designated representative can result in a probable cause audit, authorized
at the discretion of the Program Administrator.

D. Subcontracting Work
SSPC certified contractors are responsible for the actions of subcontractors, to ensure they perform in accordance
with PCCP requirements. Contracted tasks include (but are not to be limited to) environmental monitoring and testing;
personal monitoring; medical surveillance; cleaning, surface preparation and painting; erecting and moving
containment and scaffolding; and equipment maintenance.

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The QP1 Contractor is responsible for controlling its subcontracting process to ensure that its subcontractors conform
to PCCP quality management requirements. The Contractor shall evaluate and select subcontractors based on their
ability to provide products/services in accordance with the contract and QP 1 quality management requirements

Purchasing documents sent to the subcontractor shall specify information describing the product or service being
purchased. The contractor shall ensure that specified requirements are adequately defined in the purchasing
documents prior to their release to subcontractors. Subcontractors must also be notified by you, the certified
Contractor, that SSPC retains the right to audit their surface preparation and coating application operations.

In all circumstances, SSPC certified Contractors should hire only SSPC certified subcontractors for surface
preparation and coating application work. SSPC certified Contractors MUST hire SSPC certified Contractors as
required by the facility owner.

SSPC realizes that there are circumstances when you are hired because of your credentials as an SSPC certified
contractor and yet are required to hire painting subcontractors, as part of your contract, that may not be certified (e.g.,
minority or set aside contracts). In cases when you do hire non-certified sub-contractors to fulfill a contract obligation
which cannot practically (or reasonably) be met by the contractor or other PCCP certified subcontractor, you will need
a written waiver of the QP requirement for the subcontractor from the facility owner. Regardless of the subcontractor's
certification status, you are still responsible for the actions of those subcontractors to ensure they perform in
accordance with your QP quality programs.

All subcontractors hired by SSPC certified Contractors must be formally approved in writing by the facility owner or its
official representative. Failure to comply will result in issuance of a "SEVERE" critical fault under the DAC.

If a certified Contractor's job site is audited and one or more of the painting subcontractors performing surface
preparation and coating application work at that job site are not in compliance with QP requirements, SSPC will issue
the certified Contractor a warning for violations of the PCCP Subcontracting Special Provision. A second incident will
result in an automatic 12-month suspension from the certification program.

SSPC certified Contractors who hire non-certified contractors even though the facility owner, general contractor or
specifying engineer specifically call out in their contract or general notice to contractors that all cleaning and painting
subcontractors must be SSPC certified, will be subject to disciplinary action (i.e. deliberate violation of specification
requirements - a "severe" violation resulting in suspension) under the Disciplinary Action Criteria (DAC).

If a certified contractor utilizes another contractor's workers (e.g., applicators, blasters, helpers, laborers, pot tenders,
equipment operators, quality control inspectors, competent persons, etc.) and these workers are paid by another
entity (regardless of whether they are under your direct supervision), the workers are considered to be subcontracted
from the other entity. If the contract calls for a QP 1 or QP 2 contractor, the other entity must also be certified or it is
considered a violation of the DAC.

If a certified contractor is borrowing, leasing, renting, etc., workers, and those workers are on the certified contractor's
payroll, and under the certified contractor's direct supervision, the workers are considered employees of the certified
company.

Complaints from facility owners prime, contractors or their representatives concerning SSPC certified Contractors
allegedly violating subcontracting practices described above will be investigated by SSPC and may result in an
unscheduled probable cause audit of job records and job site.

E. Joint Ventures and Auditing

When SSPC audits a project being done by one or more QP certified firms as a Joint Venture (JV), the audit counts
as an audit for all the QP certified companies involved in the JV. That is, if the audit is successful, all the JV QP
companies audited share in the success. If the audit is not successful, the audit is unsuccessful for all QP firms
involved. In addition, SSPC reserves the right to audit a non-JV project being done by one or more of the joint venture
contractors as part of their routine, annual audit.

F. Reporting Work and Citation History on Application

Contractors are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of reporting of regulatory citation history information
submitted to SSPC when completing a certification initial or maintenance application. Failure to accurately report this
information on the application will delay the application or result in a disciplinary action or if the company’s already
certified, could result in suspension of the firm’s certification.
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 G. Administrative Suspension and Change of Company Name
Change of company name, ownership or structure does not void a suspension or revocation issued by SSPC. Any
company that is suspended or revoked for failing to meet QP audit standards, SSPC administrative policy, or any
other policy related to QP certification is restricted from reapplying for certification as a newly formed, merged, or
renamed company. Recertification in any form is prohibited for the stated duration of the suspension. Once the
suspension or revocation period has lapsed, any suspension or revocation history and records will be transferred to
the new business.

Any representative of the management, including but not limited to an officer, director, superintendent, quality control
supervisor, safety director, general manager, or stockholder, or any person who exercises directly or indirectly,
including through an intermediary person, any degree of ownership, management or control of the suspended
contracting firm, who forms or purchases a new company or who exercises any management or control of a new,
existing, or purchased company, or who exercises any degree of ownership of a new, existing, or purchased
company, renders the new, existing, or purchased company ineligible for certification while any suspension of the
company the person was associated with, is in effect. The intent is to prevent management, or other key individuals
associated with the suspended firm from forming or purchasing a new company, or exercising any control over an
existing affiliated company (such as through an intermediary person) to avoid the consequences of a PCCP
suspension.

A suspended contractor may re-enter the program when the suspension or revocation period has lapsed and the
conditions for reinstatement have been met. A newly formed, merged, renamed, or otherwise reorganized company
must submit an application and follow all procedures for QP certification.

Note: For purposes of this document, affiliated company is defined as: “A company, corporation, partnership, joint
venture, or other business entity operating under a different name than the certified firm, which performs surface
preparation or coating application or administrative and other support functions for the certified company; and in which
an officer, director, owner, partner or stockholder of the certified firm, a previously certified firm disciplined by SSPC,
or the certified firm itself, exercises directly or indirectly (such as through an intermediary person or family member)
any significant degree of ownership, management or control.”

XIV. Random Audit Program (RAP) (QP1 and QP2 only)

A. Contractor Eligibility Requirements for the Random Audit Program:

1. The Contractor must successfully complete the most recent 3-year certification term. That is, the contractor
must pass the initial and two subsequent QP1 and QP2 reconfirmation Audits and any subsequent Audits.
During the course of the above Audits, a Contractor must not have received a rating less than 2 for any critical
evaluation item or receive more than 3 ratings less than “2” on any non-critical evaluation item in the QP1
program; or any deficiency requiring a Major Corrective Action Report (CAR) or more than 3 deficiencies
requiring a Minor CAR in the QP2 program. Note: The RAP is applicable to both QP1 and QP2 certifications.
Firms holding both QP 1 & QP 2 certifications must qualify for RAP under both programs to enter the RAP.
2. Establish a record free of disciplinary actions, defined by the Disciplinary Action Criteria (DAC), during the
certification term.
3. Operate without any major changes in company organization as defined in the QP 1 Special Provisions during
the course of the Contractor’s most recently completed 3-year QP 1 certification term or any part of a
subsequent uncompleted term. A contractor may change its name (this is not a major change) but it must
meet the criteria listed in Special Provisions for such an action.

B. Loss of Eligibility for the Random Audit Program

1. If a Contractor fails any certification or random audit (i.e., does not achieve a passing score or is rated less
than 2 on any QP 1 critical item or less than 2 on 4 or more non critical items; or is cited for any deficiency
requiring a Major Corrective Action [CAR] or 4 or more deficiencies requiring a Minor CAR under the QP 2
program). Note: Contractors who fail a random audit must submit an accepted corrective action plan within
45 days of notice and undergo a “full” audit in order to be considered for reinstatement of certification status.
2. If a Contractor undergoes a major organizational change that requires a change in Tax I.D. or EIN.
3. If SSPC assesses any disciplinary action against a Contractor (determined by the DAC).
4. If a Contractor voluntarily discontinues or disrupts its certification status (e.g., failure to meet an application or
submittal deadline; failure to pay fees or expenses when due).
5. Declaration of Bankruptcy.

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 C. Restoration of Random Audit Program Eligibility:
1. Successful completion of a new 3-year term (see A.1. above) will begin with a full audit in the year following
loss of RAP status.
2. Pass a special audit following a major organizational change.

D. Duration of Random Audit Program Eligibility (3 years):

1. A Contractor is subject to random audit in any of the three years that it is in the random audit program.
2. A Contractor must pass a full audit (all items on the checklist) in the fourth year to be eligible for a new 3-year
term in the random audit program.
3. Note: Random reconfirmation audits consist of (at a minimum) an on-site evaluation (at an active job) and a
visit to the corporate offices to verify compliance with certification program requirements.

E. Application for RAP Eligibility

1. Applications for RAP are due on October 15 for RAP eligibility in the following calendar year.
2. Application: Simply submit a letter requesting consideration for entry into the RAP program and include
copies of your three most recent SSPC audit summaries and corresponding deficiency schedules as well as
evidence of successful completion of projects completed during the most recent QP 1 certification term.
Determination will be made no later than January 15. Requests submitted after October 15 cannot be
considered.

XV. Scoring
The SSPC auditor rates your company on all applicable* evaluation items. Only findings rated 1 or 2 are reported on the
deficiency schedule, which is given to the auditee at the closing interview. Lack of a finding for an evaluation item
means that the auditor rated it “3,” or did not rate the item.

*More items are evaluated on initial and full audits than are evaluated on maintenance, spot-check or corrective action
follow up audits.

Below are the ratings and what they mean.

The rating of 1, (a.k.a. a major CAR or deficiency), indicates: (a) the required training, written program, practice or
procedure is non-existent; (b) the required training or written program is inadequate; or (c) the required practice or
procedure has not been in place for the minimum amount of time (six consecutive production months) or it has been in
place sporadically (e.g., less than 2/3 implemented).

Important Note: Typically, auditors will not issue major deficiencies for isolated breakdowns in a contractor’s Quality
System. However, there are exceptions: For example, auditors will issue a rating of “1” when they observe one or more
safety violations or safety hazards that could result in an injury or serious incident. An obvious example would be a
person working without appropriate fall protection as required by the contractor’s safety and health plan and/or
governing regulations. Auditors will also issue a rating of “1” if they discover one or more unauthorized deviations from
contract requirements or deviations from good painting practices found in the paint shop, shipyard or field job site.

The rating of 2, (a.k.a. a minor CAR or deficiency), indicates the training or written program is adequate but requires
minor revision. Examples include a practice or procedure that is in place with isolated instances of non-conformance
(no more than 1/3 of the time), lack of practice or documentation due to personnel turnover, non-performance by field
personnel, personal hardship, and natural disaster.

The rating of 3 indicates that a contractor, based on audit sampling, consistently adheres to specific training and
written program requirements, and required practices and procedures consistently meet the letter of the standard.
When there are no audit findings, it means that all items evaluated during the audit were rated “3.”

Corrective Action Report

A Corrective Action Report (CAR), using the SSPC automated CAP form found on the SSPC web site
(http://www.sspc.org/capform/), is required for each major deficiency (rating of “1”) found by the auditor. Remedial
action for a Major CAR requires the submission of a corrective action report followed by an on-site audit to confirm
that the contractor has corrected the deficiency and implemented the corrective action plan submitted to SSPC. With
the exception of initial audits and maintenance or follow-up audits where multiple CARS are written (e.g. 4 or more),
remedial action for a Minor CAR requires that the auditor confirm remediation at the next audit. Minor CARs that are
not remediated by the contractor by the next audit turn into a Major CAR or deficiency.
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 Initial Audits require corrective action report submission for all deficiencies cited (major or minor).

Concerns - Occasionally, the auditor will note a “concern” on an audit report. A concern is not a rating. It is simply a
statement for the contractor to consider for its own business purposes. No response is required for a “concern.”

XVI. QP1 Appendix A

A. General Description
In order to meet the requirements of QP 1 section 3.2.1, the contractor must document implementation of the program
to:
1. Assess the skills and general training needs of newly hired craft workers* and qualify them for their assigned
tasks;
2. Verify the qualifications of existing craft workers;
3. Train inexperienced craft workers (trainees) as necessary;
4. Evaluate the performance of craft workers at least once per calendar year and provide additional training as
necessary;
5. Ensure compliance with contract specific worker training/qualification requirements.
*A craft worker is one who performs surface preparation and/or applies coating materials
XVII.
B. Contents of the Program - General Training and Qualification Requirements
1. NEWLY HIRED EXPERIENCED CRAFT WORKERS

The program must contain provisions to administer written tests and/or a hands-on evaluation to assess the skills
of new hires that claim to have previous experience, or verify previous qualifications through a formal training or
qualification program.

(1) When written tests are used, they shall include information that the contractor determines to be necessary to
verify the general knowledge of the trade and the qualifications of the individual tested to perform work assigned.
While it is left to the contractor to create or use the test that works best for its business, the contractor must show
that the questions and answers are based on training materials, or standards, or publications developed by
SSPC, ASTM, PDCA, the IUPAT or its affiliates; NCCER or materials developed by another organization, that are
acceptable to SSPC.
(2) Hands-on Skill Evaluation - At a minimum, abrasive blasters shall be qualified using the SSPC C-7 hands-on
skill assessment protocol for testing blasters or an equivalent hands-on evaluation, acceptable to SSPC. The
hands-on evaluation can be done in a controlled qualification session in the shop or yard or in the field at an
actual production site. The C-7 skills assessment form is available from SSPC.
(3) Spray painters shall be qualified per the contractor’s Quality Control Procedures Manual using industry
accepted qualification procedures from one or more of the sources listed in B. (1) above.
(4) Specialty skill qualifications for such processes as UHP Water Jetting, Thermal Spray Metallizing, or Plural
Component Spray shall be developed in house (or outsourced) based on material or equipment supplier best
practices when industry standard training or training materials do not exist.
(5) Craft workers previously trained or qualified by your company who have been laid off or who have left to work
for another contractor, only to return to work for your company within a two-year period need not be re-qualified to
update your assessment of their skills.

2. TRAINEES

General training for trainees shall be based on training materials developed by SSPC, PDCA, the IUPAT or its
affiliates; NCCER or equivalent materials, acceptable to SSPC.

C. Qualification To Apply Specific Material and Use New Equipment

The program must contain procedures to qualify craft workers to apply materials or use equipment unfamiliar to the
craft worker. The program must also document that those workers have been qualified/trained.

D. Supervisor

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Each contractor shall designate a “Supervisor” to be responsible for implementation of the company's craft worker
training and qualification program and monitoring its effective use in the field. The “Supervisor” shall have sufficient
technical knowledge and documented training in the use of specific materials and equipment.

E. CAS (Coating Application Specialist Certification Program)

Beginning in calendar year 2013, QP 1 contractors were required to implement their QP 1 CAS program. Information
on CAS QP 1 implementation requirements can be found at: http://www.sspc.org/qp-programs/qp-for-
contractors/CAS-for-QP-1-Contractors/. QP-1 firms based outside of the U.S.A., can petition the Corporate
Certification Specialist for a waiver from the CAS requirement if: (1) CAS is not available in the company’s geographic
area; or (2) CAS is not available in the language of the workplace. To qualify for a waiver, the company must have in
place a viable alternative plan such as SSPC C-7 & C-12 certifications for blasters and painters or other recognized
rd
(e.g., ISO certified or compliant) 3 party accredited craft worker qualification program. Any SSPC waiver would be
exclusive of any owner waivers already allowed by the program.

F. Annual Performance Evaluation

The contractor must have implemented procedures and documentation to show that his/her production supervisor
evaluates and documents each craft worker’s performance at least annually. Annual performance evaluation is a
“major” critical item deficiency (see audit item number 9).

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XVIII. QP1 Appendix B

A. QCS Formal Training Course (SSPC QCS or equivalent):

Course material should meet the BOK outlined in ASQ Quality Management System (basics) - 16 hour course minimum
(final lecture examination, minimum passing grade 80%)- curriculum must include definitions of quality systems, quality
manuals and procedures, documentation and data controls, calibration programs, contract document and specification
review, work plans and process control procedures, inspection plans, inspection reports, internal audits, and SSPC QP
audit requirements) certificates must be issued after successful completion minimum Instructor qualifications (SSPC QCS
or equivalent, 3 years experience in industrial/marine protective coatings QCS and inspection)

QC Inspector Formal Training Course (e.g. include SSPC PCI, NBPI, BCI; NACE CIP Level I, KTA Level I, or
equivalent):

- course material should meet the BOK outlined in ASTM D 3276

- 24-hour course minimum (final lecture examination, minimum passing grade 70%)

- course must include an 8-hour hands-on inspection instrument workshop (graded instrument use examination, minimum
passing grade 70%)

- inspection plan development

- documentation of inspection results

- SSPC industry standards and visual guides

- specification review and product data sheets

- certificates must be issued after successful completion

- minimum Instructor qualifications (e.g. include SSPC PCS, PCI, NBPI, BCI; NACE CIP Level I, KTA Level I, or
equivalent; 3 years experience in industrial/marine protective coatings QC inspection)

For QP course equivalency consideration, please submit the following:

- curriculum, course schedule, and course locations

- training materials

- quizzes and examinations

- Instructor roster and qualifications

SSPC retains the right to audit a QC course being presented for “equivalency” consideration prior to accepting the course
as an “equivalent,” at the contractor’s expense.

SSPC also reserves the right to audit a previously accepted “equivalency” course at the contractor’s expense or request
training records.

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