A National Association of Corrosion Engineers (now simply called NACE International) inspired study tallied the total annual corrosion cost in the USA to be a whopping 4.6% of GDP, and given our harsher weather conditions, Canada’s per capita corrosion costs are very likely higher!
From Canadian bridges to the Royal Canadian Navy, handling the destructive effects of corrosion is critical. In Saskatchewan, nobody is more acutely aware of the costs of corrosion than Saskatchewan mining and oil owners / engineers!
Corrosion comes in many forms (uniform, pitting, crevice, etc.) and there are a number of ways engineers address these problems, but in many cases the right answer to the corrosion problem is Protective Coatings and Linings.
However, in order for these products to perform as designed, owners / engineers must ensure proper application, by properly trained personnel, using properly maintained equipment, under the correct environmental conditions, with appropriate quality controls and inspections, and of course, all done safely!
To meet this challenge, IUPAT has partnered with the two premier industry leaders in protective coatings – the aforementioned NACE and SSPC (formerly the Steel Structures Painting Council, now called “SSPC, the Society of Protective Coatings”) – to incorporate cutting edge certifications into our training pipelines.
With NACE, District Council 17 sends qualified Saskatchewan Industrial Coatings Applicators /
Contractors, both management and key labour supervision, for their NACE Coatings Inspector Program (CIP) training / certification. Inspection gives assurances to owners / engineers that coatings are applied correctly, and therefore corrosion protection will be achieved!
With SSPC, District Council 17’s training culminates in SSPC Coating Applicator Specialist (CAS) certification. The “CAS” evaluation includes both written and practical exams administered by SSPC. The practical consists of proper abrasive blasting and airless spray techniques on an appropriately designed ASTM steel test panel. District Council 17 has 7 of these test panels. The CAS evaluation has been incorporated into District Council 17’s crafts training program[s].
Additionally, District Council 17 offers several official SSPC courses – e.g., Fundamentals of Protective Coatings (C1), De-Leading Industrial Structures for Supervisors (C3), Abrasive Blasting (C7), etc. – many incorporated into our Apprenticeship, in the cue, ready to deliver, for our partnered contractors, our member tradesmen, and owners / engineers.
To conclude, District Council 17 is on the engineering and trades forefront in the battle vs corrosion! District Council 17 has had over 100 years of history in Saskatchewan, and we are confident that such partnerships w/ NACE, SSPC, & our Saskatchewan affiliated contractors will ensure our future for another century!
Be safe, and let’s solve the corrosion problem together!
