Recommendations for Training and Qualifying Personnel as Rail Car Coating and Lining Inspectors

This standard is intended to specifically address the rail industry and satisfy the Association of American Railroads (AAR)⁽¹⁾ C-III M-1002 Specifications for Tank Cars, Appendix L 4.0, requirement for a written practice for the above-described activities.¹

The successful use of coating or lining systems for the protection of railroad tank cars and transported commodities depends on several factors. These include material quality, substrate compatibility, surface preparation, application techniques, process specifications, lining compatibility, and environmental conditions. Inspection of any or all of these elements by qualified personnel may be necessary to ensure that performance expectations, contracts, and regulatory requirements are met.

This standard provides guidelines to assist employers in identifying the basic requirements for the in-house training, testing, and qualification of personnel who perform coating or lining inspections for a specific application or project. The qualification procedures outlined in this standard are not, and should not be interpreted to be, a substitute for or alternative to the AMPP Coating Inspector Program (CIP). An employer may elect to incorporate the CIP into its coating inspector qualification program or to use CIP as a partial or complete substitute for an in-house program.