Check out Mr. Glover’s article “Writing a Coatings Spec” in the November 2014 issue of CoatingsPro here

A concise Work Plan must be submitted with each bid proposal, including that for coatings work. Failure to submit a Work Plan may be cause for rejection of the bid. The Work Plan will, in detail, explain all procedures including, but not limited to, all sequential processes, quality control for each process, quality assurance for each process, and safety.

The Work Plan must be reviewed and approved by an authorized representative to the owner prior to the contractor’s mobilization onto the work site. Approval of the Work Plan by the owner or his or her representative does not negate the contractor’s responsibility for adhering to industry-accepted work practices, industry-accepted painting practices, the written specification, and the owner’s written contract.

The following is a sequential outline that may be used as a guide for a written detailed Work Plan:

1. Purpose
2. Introduction
3. Contractor history with references and phone numbers
4. Contractor and worker qualifications with certifications
5. Project management with documents
6. References
7. Contractor case histories on similar projects
8. Competent person (lead only) with certification
9. Insurance with copies
10. General overview
11. Reference to all applicable standards, e.g., NACE International, Society for Protective Coatings (SSPC), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and ASTM International with copies
12. Safety, fire, and health information
13. Equipment
14. Material storage and handling details
15. Pre-application test panel validation
16. Timeline (in a Gant chart)
17. Daily contractor log
18. Manufacturer’s support with their documentation
19. Containment information
20. Surface preparation details
21. Hold points
22. Weather conditions
23. Coating, mixing, application, recoat windows, and coating curing times
24. Holiday testing
25. Coating repairs
26. Spent material handling and effluent discharge
27. Instruments, test kits, and methods used
28. Documents and document control
29. Warrantee in writing (signed by the contractor and coating manufacturer’s rep)
30. Contractor’s signature and date of

Along with the detailed Work Plan, all Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), other data sheets, and any special directions specific to the site or chosen materials (i.e., storage of the coatings) must be attached to the bid.

Randy Glover is the president and owner of O.T.B. Technologies, Inc., located in Tooele, Utah. He has more than 45 years in the coatings and surface preparation industry, beginning in automobile restoration/painting/inspection, continuing on to aircraft painting/inspection, then to heavy industrial surface preparation, painting, and inspection. His consulting clients have included Intel, the city of Phoenix, and the Arizona Department of Corrections. He was the chief coatings consultant for the Cardinal football stadium in Glendale, Ariz., and was responsible for coating selection, recommendations for surface preparation, and coating application techniques as well as inspection techniques for concrete and structural steel on the stationary moving roof, outside stadium skin, food service areas, scoreboards, and playing field. He is an active member of NACE, SSPC, the ASTM D01.46 subcommittee, and a member of the surface preparation committee for International Concrete Repair Institute. For more information, contact: O.T.B. Technologies, Inc., otb2003@hotmail.com, www.otbtech.net