The Society for Protective Coatings and the Institute of Materials, Malaysia (IMM) have announced an agreement for IMM to provide SSPC training in Malaysia.

The agreement is exclusive for IMM in Malaysia and includes licensing of the following SSPC certification programs:
• Surface Preparation and Paint Application for Power Tool Cleaning and Brush and
Roll Paint Applicators (C6)
• Abrasive Blasting Program (C7)
• Spray Application Certification (C12)
• Coating Applicator Specialist Level 1 (CAS Level 1)
• Coating Applicator Specialist Certification Program (CAS Level 2 Interim Status)
• Coating Applicator Specialist Certification Program (CAS Level 2 Full Status)

The SSPC certifications will replace programs previously used by IMM. All participants in the programs must meet the same pre-requisites as in the United States. Also as part of the
agreement, IMM will translate the SSPC materials into Bahasa Malaysia.

Petronas, the national oil company of Malaysia, has already included SSPC C7 and C12 in their paint specifications. Craftworkers on Petronas projects in Malaysia are required to be
certified by either IMM or SSPC. Under a transition program, workers who have been previously certified under IMM will be certified with SSPC over the next few years.
SSPC Executive Director Bill Worms said: “We are excited to formalize this agreement with IMM. The synergy between our organizations and our similar goals to
train and educate the industrial coatings workforce made the idea of aligning our programs relatively easy.”

En. Mohamad Azmi Mohd Noor, President of IMM, added:“We have been discussing this possibility with SSPC for some time. It’s a great opportunity to bring such widely recognized programs to the workforce in Malaysia. We look forward to a long relationship between our organizations.”

[Pictured (left to right):
Muhammad Hawari Hasan, IMM Board Member and Principal Engineer, Corrosion with Petronas
Mohamad Azmi B Mohd Noor, IMM President and Senior Manager, KPOC (his name appears on the backdrop)
Bill Worms, Executive Director, SSPC
Bob McMurdy, Business Development, SSPC and SSPC Past President}