October 24, 2019

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – SSPC: The Society for Protective Coatings is pleased to announce, in partnership with The MPI Group, the release of a new online Pipeline Coating Inspector course.

Pipelines are the energy lifeline of the world, affecting almost every daily activity of much of the world’s population. From cars on the road to trains on the rails to ships on the ocean, the fuel essential to their operation is carried via pipelines. Pipelines help to enable global commerce, affecting people in real and substantial ways – transportation, employment, and health.  There are over a million miles of pipeline in the USA alone. In addition to fuel, networks of pipelines covering the globe carry fresh water to homes and remove waste from them.

Steel pipelines are used to transport oil and gas from its natural residence in the ground to refineries for processing and to suppliers for distribution.  Often the contents of these pipelines can be hazardous and corrosive, and corrosion prevention methods are required to ensure the integrity and safe operation of the pipeline to help protect people and the environment.

The SSPC Pipeline Inspector e-course covers corrosion protection of steel pipelines through the use of protective coatings and cathodic protection, with a focus on the duties and responsibilities of the pipeline coatings inspector.

The course was developed to fill a gap in the industry relating to specific training content for inspectors who specialize in pipelines. According to Jennifer Merck, Director of Training and Certification at SSPC, “We saw the need for a specific course on pipeline coating inspection to help coating inspectors navigate the corrosion prevention methods found in pipeline inspection. Delivering it online makes it convenient and easy to access for coating inspectors, meaning they can fit the training into their schedules and don’t need to travel or take time off of work to advance their training.”

The course is designed to provide inspectors with the fundamental knowledge needed for the inspection of pipeline projects. It focuses on the inspection tasks associated with pipelines, as well as common pipeline coatings, methods of surface preparation and coating application, safety, quality assurance, standards and best practices. The course is composed of thirteen core online units featured as a series of web pages that students can access at their convenience.

There are two levels available to students: a Training level and a Certification level.  To receive a certificate for the Training level, students must work through all 16 hours of course materials and pass all quizzes with a score of 100%

For the Certification level, students must take a written certification exam in person that consists of 100 multiple-choice questions. To receive a certificate and CEUs at this level, students must complete all 16 hours of the course and attain a 70% or better score on the certification exam.

Students seeking certification must contact SSPC to schedule the certification exam upon purchase in order for SSPC to find a proctor convenient to the student’s location.

For more information about the course or to register, please contact Jennifer Merck at [email protected] or 412-281-2331, x2221.

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