QP 8 – Polymer Concrete Coatings

The objective of the program is to provide owners and their agents with a tool for prequalifying contractors who wish to bid on their projects. To achieve accreditation, companies are assessed in several key areas:

• Management procedures
• Technical knowledge
• Quality control procedures
• Personnel qualifications
• Safety, health, and environmental compliance.

Companies seeking accreditation must also demonstrate their ability to:

• Perform substrate evaluation, repair, and treatment
• Conduct surface preparation operations
• Install coatings and surfacings over concrete-based substrates
• Implement their quality program in the field
• Meet the conditions and restrictions specified by the owner.

These areas are first evaluated through a series of submittals describing the contractor’s business operations. Then an impartial, on-site audit of a representative active jobsite is performed to verify that the programs and practices are being implemented and used. Companies that fail to meet the standards of the program are subject to disciplinary actions ranging from a basic warning to suspension and revocation of their accreditation.

The QP 8 Accreditation Program does not involve inspection of the contractor’s work. The program is also not intended to guarantee the quality or safety performance of a specific contractor on any of its projects. Rather, it is intended to assist facility owners or others in their evaluation of potential bidders. While SSPC accreditation confirms a company’s capability to meet the requirements of the SSPC-QP 8 standard, owners, specifiers and general contractors are encouraged to also assess the installation contractor’s financial ability to perform a job as well as the contractor’s previous work history, capability to meet site-specific requirements and other areas not covered under this program.