SSPC-QP 2
September 1, 2009
SSPC: The Society for Protective Coatings
Qualification procedure NO. 2
Standard for Evaluating Painting Contractors
(Removal of Hazardous Coatings from Industrial/Marine Steel Structures)
1. Scope
1.1 This standard describes a method for evaluating the
qualifications of industrial/marine painting contractors who
remove hazardous coatings (e.g., coatings containing lead or
other hazardous metals) from industrial/marine structures. The
requirements of this procedure are intended to supplement the
general requirements of SSPC-QP 1, QP 3, QP 6 or QP 8.
This standard establishes two qualification categories
for contractors removing and containing hazardous coatings.
The owner determines the certification category appropriate
for any specific project based on containment and ventilation
requirements.
1.2 This standard also establishes minimum requirements
for worker health and safety programs and environmental
protection programs utilized by the contractor during hazardous
coating removal operations.
2. Description
2.1 DEFINITIONS
Auditor: 1) The person or persons performing audits on
behalf of the qualifying agency. 2) The person(s) possessing the
necessary technical and quality system auditing skills to review
contractor submittals, conduct on-site audits of applicants, and
report findings to the qualifying agency’s program administrator
in compliance with the requirements of this procedure and the
written requirements of the formal audit program.
Contractor: A firm whose business is providing surface
preparation and coating application and related services in the
industrial and/or marine markets.
Competent Person: One who is capable of identifying
existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working
conditions that are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to
employees, the public, and the environment, and who has
authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate
them. NOTE: U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Adminis-
tration (OSHA) requires a competent person on-site during
exposure-producing operations.
Hazardous Coatings: Coating systems that contain
substances (e.g., lead or other hazardous metals) in sufficient
1
concentrations to create an occupational hazard for the worker,
or an environmental hazard in the locale where disturbance of
the coating during surface preparation is taking place.
Owner: The person, company or organization who owns
the steel structure or operates the facility in which work is to
be performed.
Procedure: The written sequence of steps necessary to
carry out a particular course of action.
Qualification: The procedure by which written assurance
is given that a contractor conforms to the prescribed set of
conditions or requirements of this standard at the time of the
on-site evaluation.
Qualifying Agency: The body responsible for develop-
ment, maintenance, sponsorship and operation of a program
to ensure uniform compliance with the provisions of this
standard.
Qualified Person: A person who, by possession of a
recognized degree, certificate, or professional standing, or who
by extensive knowledge, training, and experience, has success-
fully demonstrated his/her ability to solve or resolve problems
related to the subject matter, the work, or the project.
2.2 FUNCTIONS TO BE EVALUATED: The qualification
process rates three areas: 1) Management of Hazardous
Coating Removal; 2) Technical Capabilities; and 3) Personnel
Qualifications and Training. Specific requirements (evaluation
items) for each of these areas are presented in Section 4 of
this standard.
The qualifying agency develops specific criteria, scoring
and evaluation schemes for determining the qualifications of all
contractors based on the qualification requirements in Section
4. The qualifying agency has the option to add evaluation items
to address special requirements.
The evaluation items, criteria, and evaluation scheme
constitute the "Evaluation Guidelines" used to determine a
contractor's qualifications, based on the sequence of proce-
dures in Section 5 of this standard.
2.3 QUALIFICATION CATEGORIES
2.3.1 This standard establishes two qualification catego-
ries for removing and containing hazardous coatings. These
SSPC-QP 2
September 1, 2009

categories differ in the extent of containment and ventilation SSPC-Guide 18 Specifier's Guide for Determining
required, based on whether negative air pressure and air Containment Class and Environ-
movement are required. mental Monitoring Strategies for
Note: This standard is primarily geared toward the removal Lead-Paint Removal Projects
of coatings containing lead. However, if other hazardous SSPC-QP 1 Standard Procedure for Evaluat-
materials or metals are present in the abrasive or previously ing the Qualifications of Industrial/
applied coating system being disturbed, the contractor or entity Marine Painting Contractors (Field
qualified to SSPC-QP 2 is expected to be knowledgeable of Application to Complex Industrial
applicable federal (OSHA and EPA), state and local require- and Marine Steel Structures)
ments (or applicable regulations if disturbing hazardous paint SSPC-QP 3 Standard Procedure for Evaluating
outside of U.S. EPA and OSHA jurisdiction) for handling these the Qualifications of Shop Painting
materials and demonstrate the ability to invoke these require- Applicators
ments in their project-specific compliance program and during SSPC-QP 6 Standard Procedure for Evaluating
exposure producing operations. the Qualifications of Contractors
who Apply Thermal Spray (Metal-
2.3.2 Category A: This category consists of dry abrasive lizing) for Corrosion Protection of
blast cleaning, power tool cleaning, wet abrasive blast cleaning, Steel and Concrete Substrates
and water jetting, within a ventilated containment system. SSPC-QP 8 Standard Procedure for Evaluating
It entails the use of an engineered ventilation system with the Qualifications of Contracting
negative pressure in accordance with the following Classes Firms that Install Polymer Coatings
as described in SSPC-Guide 6: and Surfacings on Concrete and
• Classes 1A or 2A Other Cementitious Substrates
• Class 1P SSPC-TU 7 Conducting Ambient Air, Water
• Class 1W and Soil Sampling during Surface
Preparation and Paint Disturbance
2.3.3 Category B: This category consists of dry abrasive Activities
blast cleaning, chemical stripping, power tool cleaning, wet
abrasive blast cleaning, water cleaning or water jetting within 3.4 U.S. Government Code of Federal Regulations1
containment in accordance with the following Classes as
described in SSPC-Guide 6: 29 CFR 1910.134 Respiratory Protection
• Classes 3A or 4A; 29 CFR 1926.21 Safety Training and Education
• Classes 1C, 2C or 3C; 29 CFR 1926.59 Hazard Communication
• Classes 2P or 3P; 29 CFR 1926.62 Lead
• Classes 2W, 3W, or 4W 29 CFR 1926.1126 Hexavalent Chromium
29 CFR 1926.1127 Cadmium
3. Referenced Standards and Regulations 29 CFR 1926.1118 Inorganic Arsenic
40 CFR 50 National Ambient Air Quality
3.1 The standards and references listed in Sections 3.3 Standard for Lead
and 3.4, if invoked by project specification, form a part of this 40 CFR 58 Siting Ambient Air Monitors
standard. 40 CFR 60 Appendix A,"Standards of Perfor-
mance for New Stationary Sources
3.2 The latest issue, revision, or amendment of the stan- 33 CFR 26 Subchapter D Clean Water Act
dards and other references shall govern unless otherwise 40 CFR 122 National Pollution Discharge
noted. Elimination System
40 CFR 260 Hazardous waste management
3.3 SSPC Standards system: General
40 CFR 261 Identification and listing of hazardous
SSPC-Guide 6 Guide for Containing Debris waste
Generated During Paint Removal 40 CFR 262 Standards applicable to generators
Operations of hazardous waste
SSPC-Guide 7 Guide for the Disposal of Lead- 40 CFR 263 Standards applicable to transporters
Contaminated Surface Preparation of hazardous waste
Debris 40 CFR 268 Land disposal restrictions
SSPC-Guide 16 Guide to Selection and Use of Dust
Collectors 1
The U.S. Code of Federal Regulations is available online at
<http://www.access.gpo.gov>

2

4. Qualification Requirements
The contractor shall meet the requirements of Sections
4.1 through 4.4.6. Companies seeking qualification for work
outside the U.S. must demonstrate compliance with the coun-
try’s equivalent regulations.
4.1 The contractor shall meet the requirements of SSPC-QP
1, QP-6, or QP-8.
4.2 MANAGEMENT OF HAZARDOUS COATING
REMOVAL
4.2.1 Contractor's Company Policy: The company
mission or policy statement shall state in writing that the
contractor is committed to the protection of contractor’s
employees, subcontracted workers or companies, leased
workers, and the public from occupational and environmental
hazards associated with lead and other hazardous coating
removal operations. The contractor shall also take steps to
protect the environment in accordance with all federal, state,
and local regulations. The contractor must also present the
policy verbally to those who may not understand the written
document.
4.2.2 Authority and Responsibility of Competent
Persons
4.2.2.1 Authority: The “competent person(s),” as defined
in Sections 2.1 and 4.4.1, shall have the complete support of
top management and written authority (including stop work
authority) to ensure operations are carried out in accordance
with compliance plans and governmental regulations. To
ensure sufficient authority, competent persons shall report
directly to the corporate safety, engineering, quality assur-
ance, or quality control manager, project supervisor, project
manager, superintendent, CEO, or any other cognizant member
of management. Additional responsibilities and other work
assignments assigned to the competent person(s) shall not
prevent him/her from continually fulfilling the responsibilities of
the competent person in Section 4.2.2.2 related to identifying
and correcting conditions that are unsanitary, hazardous, or
dangerous to employees, the public, and the environment. A
back-up "competent person" shall be designated in the event
the competent person is absent from the job site. The acting
competent person shall not perform tasks that prevent continual
monitoring of work activities disturbing hazardous coatings
while such activities are in progress.
4.2.2.2 Responsibility: The competent person(s) shall
be responsible for overseeing hazardous coating removal
operations. Responsibilities shall include:
a. Monitoring effectiveness and ensuring the continued
integrity of containment and ventilation systems.
b. Supervising worker exposure monitoring and medical
surveillance or overseeing monitoring and surveillance
3
SSPC-QP 2
September 1, 2009
activities performed by other parties on behalf the
contractor as required by the specification and the
regulatory requirements for the applicable hazardous
coatings.
c. Ensuring that a hazard communication program and
other applicable training has been conducted for the
contractor's personnel on site as required by the
specification and the regulatory requirements for the
applicable hazardous coatings.
d. Ensuring that employees working in the regulated
area are wearing required personal protective equip-
ment and are trained in the use and maintenance of
such equipment and in the use of exposure control
methods, personal hygiene facilities, respiratory
protection, and decontamination as required by the
specification and the regulatory requirements for the
applicable hazardous coatings.
e. Ensuring that fugitive emissions to air, water, or soil
are minimized and that handling of all waste streams
is in compliance with the specification and applicable
regulations.
f. Controlling access to the work site and ensuring that
contamination control boundaries are marked off.
g. Maintaining project documentation, such as initial and
periodic biological monitoring, ventilation performance
checks, respirator fit tests, results of worker exposure
monitoring, results of site safety inspections, medi-
cal surveillance results, etc., in accordance with the
programs required in Sections 4.3.6.1 and 4.3.7.1.
h. Ensuring that contractor has copies of applicable
regulations and technical standards applicable to
exposure-producing operations.
4.3 TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES
4.3.1 Qualification Categories: The contractor shall meet
the requirements for the qualification category specified (see
Sections 2.3.2 and 2.3.3). The requirements for qualification
categories A and B are given in Sections 4.3.2 and 4.3.3.
Note: In addition to the requirements given in Sections 4.3.2
or 4.3.3, the contractor shall also meet all other requirements
of this standard.
4.3.2 Requirements for Category A: The contractor
shall provide objective evidence (e.g., documentation) that it
has fulfilled contract specification and applicable regulatory
requirements for hazardous coating removal projects at least
six production months prior to the initial qualification audit. The
documentation shall demonstrate how the contractor:
a. Handled hazardous materials and waste.
b. Performed coating removal using containment and
ventilation that met the requirements of Section
2.3.2.
c. When applicable, used suspended or supported
work platforms that were designed, constructed and
maintained in accordance with the requirements of
SSPC-QP 2
September 1, 2009
the specification, commonly accepted engineering
practices and design guidelines, current versions of
applicable OSHA regulations, and any mandatory local
requirements. (In the event of conflicting requirements,
the most stringent requirements apply.)
d. Erected and maintained scaffold systems under the
control of a qualified person as defined by OSHA
scaffolding standards.
e. Operated and maintained dust collection and recovery
equipment in accordance with manufacturer’s guide-
lines.
f. Monitored worker exposures for the applicable
hazardous coatings in accordance with regulatory
requirements.
g. Performed environmental monitoring as required by the
specification and applicable regulatory requirements.
h. Maintained employee exposures below the appropri-
ate OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) first by
using engineering and work practice controls to the
extent that such controls were feasible and second-
arily by using respiratory protection that complied
with current OSHA regulations.
4.3.3 Requirements for Category B: The contractor
shall provide objective evidence (e.g., documentation) that it
has fulfilled contract and applicable regulatory requirements
for hazardous coating removal projects at least six production
months prior to the initial qualification audit. The documentation
shall demonstrate how the contractor:
a. Handled hazardous materials and waste.
b. Performed coating removal using containment and
ventilation that met the requirements of Section
2.3.3.
c. When applicable, used suspended or supported
work platforms that were designed, constructed and
maintained in accordance with the requirements of
the specification, commonly accepted engineering
practices and design guidelines, current versions of
applicable OSHA regulations, and any mandatory local
requirements. In the event of conflicting requirements,
the most stringent requirements shall apply. Erected
and maintained scaffold systems under the control of
a qualified person as defined by OSHA scaffolding
standards.
d. Operated and maintained dust collection and recovery
equipment in accordance with manufacturer’s guide-
lines. Monitored worker exposures for the applicable
hazardous coatings in accordance with regulatory
requirements.
e. Performed environmental monitoring as required by
the specification and applicable regulatory require-
ments.
f. Maintained employee exposures below the appropri-
ate OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) first by
using engineering and work practice controls to the
4
extent that such controls were feasible and secondarily
by using respiratory protection that complied with
current OSHA regulations.
4.3.4 Verifying Qualification Categories: The contractor
shall submit evidence of successfully meeting the specifica-
tion requirements for hazardous coating removal projects
performed, using environmental controls in accordance with
the facility owner's specifications, applicable regulations and
the contractor’s compliance programs.
Evidence shall include documentation of hazardous coating
removal projects the contractor is involved in at the time of the
qualification audit.
To qualify for a specific qualification category, the auditor
must observe the contractor performing work specified by
contract that meets the requirements of the qualification
category sought.
4.3.5 Maintaining Qualification: To remain qualified for
a specific qualification category, the auditor must annually
observe the contractor performing work that meets the require-
ments of that qualification category. If the contractor cannot
obtain contracts to perform hazardous coatings removal for a
minimum of one year after initial qualification, the contractor
must be able to demonstrate operational capability at an
active job site at least once in the 48 months following initial
qualification. During the 48-month period, the contractor shall
comply with all other requirements of this standard procedure,
including maintaining qualified employees, appropriate and
functioning equipment, and all other QP 2-mandated technical
and administrative requirements.
During the 48 months after initial qualification, the
contractor shall notify the qualifying agency 30 days prior
to startup of any hazardous coating removal projects where
the auditor may observe the contractor performing work that
specifies the use of engineering controls applicable to the
contractor’s qualification category. In addition, the contractor
is subject to scheduled or unannounced follow-up audits at
the discretion of the qualifying agency. If the qualifying agency
fails to visit the project after being given sufficient notice, the
contractor shall be considered to fulfill requirements for the
selected category, provided that the written and photographic
documentation available for review by the qualifying agency
auditor confirms procedural compliance with the requirements
of this standard.
Documentation shall include the following:
4.3.5.1 Description of the jobs, including:
a. Facility name, address, and principal contact.
b. Brief description of structure and work performed,
including dates on site.
c. Coating removal method used, and type(s) of hazard-
ous coating(s) present.
d. Environmental monitoring performed.
e. Types of containment and (if applicable) ventilation
used.

f. If permitted by the facility owner, photographic docu-
mentation (date and time stamped) of job site activities
(e.g., containment; ventilation equipment; hygiene
facilities; paint removal equipment; PPE storage;
hazardous material storage areas).
g. Portion of project specification dealing with safety,
health, and environmental monitoring and controls.
h. Name of competent person(s) on site
i. Name of crew members exposed to the hazardous
coating removal.
4.3.5.2 Verification of successful completion of the jobs
described including compliance with applicable federal, state,
and local regulations enforceable during the project.
4.3.6 Technical Documentation Required at
Contractor’s Office:
4.3.6.1 Corporate Compliance Plans: The contractor
shall have in place corporate compliance plans addressing:
a. Worker Protection Program. The program shall
meet the minimum requirements of applicable OSHA
standards for hazardous coating removal.
b. Environmental Compliance Program. The program
shall address the monitoring methods described in
SSPC-TU 7.
c. Waste Management Program. The program shall
be written based on the applicable requirements of
SSPC-Guide 7 for the management of hazardous
and non-hazardous materials and wastes.
4.3.6.2 Reference Material: The contractor shall have or
demonstrate accessibility to an up-to-date library of industrial
and governmental resources on subjects related to hazardous
coating removal, including but not limited to:
a. Relevant federal, state, provincial, and local occu-
pational safety and health standards, regulations,
compliance directives, and guidelines.
b. Ventilation standards and procedures, if applicable.
c. Relevant federal, state, provincial, and local environ-
mental regulations on solid and hazardous waste and
on air, water, and soil quality.
d. Equipment operating manuals and dust collector fan
curves. d. Company mission statement
e. Blast cleaning and other coating removal methods
(e.g., water jetting, vacuum shrouded power tool or
chemical stripping).
f. Waste collection, handling, and disposal guidelines.
g. Industrial hygiene and safety practices.
h. SSPC-Guide 6, SSPC-Guide 7, SSPC-Guide 16,
SSPC-Guide 18, SSPC-QP 1, SSPC-TU 7
4.3.7 Technical Documentation Required at Jobsite
4.3.7.1 Unless otherwise specified, the contractor shall
have the following available at the jobsite during hazardous
coating removal activities:
5
SSPC-QP 2
September 1, 2009
a. Documentation that substantiates the type and content
of hazardous coatings involved with the work. Copies
of initial and periodic worker exposure and medical
monitoring results for the hazardous coatings in ac-
cordance with applicable OSHA requirements.
b. A copy of the project specification.
c. Project-specific compliance plans accepted by the
appropriate owner or agency for:
• Worker Protection Program for the hazardous
coatings identified in Section 4.3.7.1.
• Environmental Compliance Program based
on the specification and applicable regulatory
requirements.
• Waste Management Program for the wastes
being generated.
4.3.7.2 Documentation of Enforcement of Compliance
Plans: The contractor shall document that procedures and
policies are in effect to ensure that the contractor's project-
specific worker safety, health, environmental compliance and
waste management plans are enforced. Documentation shall
include but not be limited to:
a. ventilation checks
b. respirator fit tests
c. worker exposure monitoring results (including field
and laboratory documentation)
d. blood lead level/zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) test re-
sults
e. daily safety inspections
f. corrective actions implemented and documented
4.3.7.3 Applicable Technical Standards required by the
project being audited. (e.g., SSPC-Guide 6, SSPC-Guide 7,
SSPC-Guide 16, SSPC-TU 7).
4.3.7.4 Other Documentation Required at Jobsite
a. Project specification, change orders, and other
documentation as listed in QP 1 Section 3.1.3 and
3.2.3.
b. Document authorizing employees to act (e.g., com-
petent person authority, including backup competent
person), job descriptions of site personnel
c. OSHA and other regulatory postings
e. Records of project safety meetings (topic and at-
tendees)
f. Evidence of job-specific worker safety training
g. Safe operating procedures for equipment
h. Hazardous waste manifests where applicable (e.g.,
solid waste disposal, laundry, waste water, discarded
respirator filters)
4.4 PERSONNEL QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING
4.4.1 Competent Person Training and Experience:
Evidence (i.e., documentation) shall be furnished that the
competent person shall have successfully completed at least
SSPC-QP 2
September 1, 2009
32 hours of training, and shall have the experience described
below in Section 4.4.3. Unless otherwise mandated by appli-
cable federal standards, the training program must be SSPC
C-3 or other training that has been approved by at least one of
the states maintaining a training program accreditation system
applicable to the industrial/marine coatings industry. Success-
fully completed annual C-5 refresher training or training that
has been approved by at least one of the states maintaining
a training program accreditation system applicable to the
industrial/marine coatings industry, at a minimum of eight
hours per year.
4.4.2 Competent person training shall include 32 hours
covering the following topics:
• Background Information on Lead and Other Toxic
Metals
• Legal and Regulatory Overview
• Worker Protection from Lead and Other Toxic
Metals
• Compliance with Air, Soil, Water/Sediment, and Dust
Regulations
• Management of Solid and Hazardous Waste
• Sources of Lead Exposure
• Control of Environmental Releases
• Specifications and Site-Specific Compliance Plans
• Work Site Preparation
• Insurance and Bonding Issues
• Other Safety and Health Hazards
4.4.3 Competent person experience shall include a
minimum of two years field experience in industrial and/or
marine painting.
4.4.4 Production and Support Worker Training:
Evidence or documentation shall be furnished that production
and support personnel with potential exposure to hazardous
coatings shall have:
• Initial and annual mandated OSHA training
• Training on the content of the project-specific compli-
ance programs
• Any training required by the project specification
• Any additional training required by the contractor’s
compliance programs
4.4.5 Environmental and Worker Monitoring Compe-
tency: If contractor staff or competent person is directly
performing environmental or worker monitoring, that person
shall provide evidence of competency in the monitoring tech-
niques being used.
4.4.6 Safety Coordinator: Defined responsibilities for
a safety coordinator, who shall have a minimum 30 hours of
OSHA-approved Construction Safety Training plus SSPC C-3
or other training that has been approved by at least one of the
states maintaining a training program accreditation system
applicable to the industrial/marine coatings industry. This person
6
may be on the contractor's staff, or the contractor may utilize
the services of an industrial hygiene or safety professional with
knowledge of hazardous coating removal operations. Since
the competent person is required to be onsite to implement all
compliance activities, it is not necessary for the safety coordi-
nator to be on site at all times. However, the safety coordinator
shall be available for consultation as needed.
5. Evaluation Sequence
5.1 SUBMITTAL OF WRITTEN APPLICATION
PACKAGE: The initial step is to request an application form and
instructions. The request, along with an application fee (when
applicable) must be submitted to the qualifying agency.
The application process involves gathering required infor-
mation about the contractor as described in the application
form. This information and documentation will be submitted to
the qualifying agency at the same time as the formal applica-
tion for qualification.
5.2 REVIEW OF APPLICATION PACKAGE: The contrac-
tor's application package is reviewed by the qualifying agency
using guidelines for evaluation established by that agency. The
evaluation items are based on Section 4 of this document.
5.3 ON-SITE AUDIT OF CONTRACTOR: Subject to
satisfactory evaluation of the application package referred
to in Section 5.1 and on a date mutually agreed upon by the
contractor and the qualifying agency, an auditor representing
the qualifying agency will visit the contractor's home office and
a job site where lead-based paint or other hazardous coating
removal work on an industrial/marine structure is in progress
under facility owner contract. The auditor will investigate and
rate the following areas directly and indirectly affecting quality
of work provided: MANAGEMENT OF HAZARDOUS COATING
REMOVAL, TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES, AND PERSONNEL
QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING. The auditor will perform
the following:
• Confirm data submitted with the application for
qualification.
• Conduct interviews with key supervisory personnel
and employees (as necessary).
• Observe and evaluate the organization and opera-
tion, including management of hazardous coating
removal, technical capabilities, personnel qualifica-
tions and training
• Examine and evaluate equipment and facilities.
The on-site audit will usually require from one to two days
to complete.
5.4 EXIT INTERVIEW: Following the site audit, the auditor
will hold an exit interview with a cognizant member of manage-
ment. At the exit interview, the auditor will review observations
and the evaluation with the contractor, including discussions
of deficiencies and omissions, if any. A written schedule of
deficiencies and omissions will be provided to the cognizant

member of management, who will be asked to confirm receipt
of the schedule. Every attempt is to be made by the auditor
during the exit interview to explain findings.
5.5 EVALUATION OF APPLICATION AND DETERMINA-
TION OF STATUS: At the conclusion of the evaluation process,
the auditor will submit findings to the qualifying agency, which
will make the final decision regarding applicant status:
5.5.1 Qualification: The qualifying agency will make final
determination of the contractor's qualification status, based on
the auditor ‘s findings and disciplinary action or other evalua-
tion criteria defined in the application materials. The qualifying
agency will issue a certificate identifying the contractor by name
and by location of the contractor's home office. Subsequent
annual reconfirmation is subject to the qualifying agency's
requirements.
5.5.2 Withhold Qualification: If qualification is with-
held, the qualifying agency shall submit to the contractor an
itemization of findings that resulted in the decision to withhold
qualification. The contractor will be allowed up to 90 days after
formal notification to submit a corrective action plan (CAP),
and request a follow up evaluation to verify compliance with
requirements of this standard.
5.6 METHOD OF APPEAL: If a contractor disputes the
audit findings, the contractor may appeal, using the following
steps of recourse:
The contractor shall notify the qualifying agency’s certi-
fication manager in writing within 10 business days after the
exit interview, identifying the specific reasons for contesting
the findings.
If the contractor disputes a decision to withhold certification
status, the contractor may appeal to the certification manager
in writing within 10 business days after formal notification of
denial of certification.
In the event the foregoing steps fail to resolve the dispute,
a mutually agreed-upon arbitration panel consisting of three
persons (one person chosen by the contractor, one by the
qualifying agency, and one agreed upon by both parties) with
knowledge of protective coating operations will convene to hear
evidence and make a final, binding decision. If the arbitration
panel finds for the contractor, the cost of all fees and expenses
of the arbitration will be shared by the contractor and the
qualifying agency. If the arbitration panel does not find for the
contractor, the contractor will be responsible for payment of
all fees and expenses. Any other costs incurred by any party
to the dispute will be borne by that party.
5.7 RECONFIRMATION OF QUALIFICATION:
5.7.1 Internal Audit: The contractor shall, at its own
expense, perform at least one annual internal audit, based on
the requirements of Section 4 above, following initial qualifica-
tion. The results of this internal audit will be retained on file by
SSPC-QP 2
September 1, 2009
the contractor, and shall be available to the auditor during any
announced or unannounced audits.
5.7.2 Reconfirmation of Qualification - Owner
Comments: Owners for whom the contractor performs work
will be given an opportunity to comment on the qualified
contractor's performance by completing an owner comment
form provided by the qualifying agency. Comments will be
in the form of replies to specific questions asked of owners
regarding performance on specific jobs. Owner comments will
be treated as confidential information.
5.8 REVOCATION: Failure to satisfactorily complete the
annual internal audit or pass an audit to maintain qualification
following initial qualification, or failure to meet disciplinary or
other evaluation/administrative criteria established by the
qualifying agency will be cause for suspension or revoca-
tion of certification. Audits conducted to determine continued
qualification will be announced or unannounced and performed
annually at the discretion of the qualifying agency.
5.9. QUALIFICATION PERIOD: Qualification is reviewed
annually by the qualifying agency.
5.10 QUALIFYING AGENCY FILES: The qualifying
agency will maintain a list of certified contractors, as well as
pertinent information submitted by owners and users who have
utilized the contractor's services. This information will assist in
the validation process during the qualification period.
All information gathered will be used only for purposes
intended. Information determined to be proprietary in nature
will be treated as confidential.
6. Disclaimer
While every precaution is taken to ensure that all informa-
tion furnished in SSPC standards is as accurate, complete,
and useful, SSPC cannot assume responsibility nor incur any
obligation resulting from the use of any materials, coatings or
methods specified therein, or of the specification itself.