Industry Standards: Are You Current?

Abstract/Introduction Coating specifications frequently reference industry standards from organizations such as SSPC, ASTM, ISO and NACE. While specifications may reference a specific version or “year,” many simply state, “the latest version of the standard applies.” Many standards writing organizations require a review of the content of their documents every 5-years (or more frequently), and updates/revisions to standards can and oftentimes do occur. And new standards are developed and published to fill voids when a need for a standard is identified. Keeping current with revisions and updates to existing standards, as well as newly published standards that impact coating work can be very challenging. However whether you prepare coating specifications, inspect surface preparation and coating application operations, perform surface preparation and coating application, or instruct others, as a coatings professional it is critical to remain current. This presentation will describe the importance of remaining current and ways in which you can remain current with changes to industry standards, as well as highlight some of the changes to existing standards and new standards recently published by organizations like SSPC, ASTM and NACE that directly impact the protective coatings industry. Attendance at this presentation will enable the participant to: identify changes to existing industry standards that may affect shop/field coating operation; identify new standards that may be invoked by specifications; describe the importance of remaining current with changes to existing industry standards; and describe ways to remain current with new standards and changes to existing standards.