Addressing and preventing corrosion is a major focus point for oil and water storage tank services today, one that has an entire specialty dedicated to it.
Corrosion engineers are essential partners of the tank design and production process as they work to develop protective paint coatings and other methods for reducing tank corrosion.
In this vein, engineers as well as water and oil storage tank inspectors perform two critical roles where the application of protective coatings is concerned: quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA).
Although QC and QA both have the same goal to ensure these coatings actually protect as designed, they address it from different sides of the corrosion prevention process.
What Is Quality Control for Corrosion-Resistant Tank Coatings?
Quality control or QC) in the corrosion prevention paint and coatings operation for oil and water storage tanks is just what it sounds like.
It is a process in which corrosion engineers and specialists are brought in to oversee the tank construction and coating stages to make sure it is happening correctly.
QC involves the observation and documenting of the activity first, then performing various tests on the applied coating to confirm that it was properly done.
QC monitors the entire procedure, step-by-step, assuring that each step in the tank prep and coating process is done according to accepted standards and the end result is a tank with a properly-adhered coating at the required thickness.
What Is Quality Assurance for Corrosion-Resistant Tank Coatings?
Quality assurance (QA) is slightly different than QC as it is essentially an auditing procedure and tank inspection done afterward to confirm that the operation was correctly performed.
Performed by third-party corrosion engineers and tank coating specialists, QA involves a review of all documentation throughout the step-by-step tank preparation and coating process followed by an inspection of the final product.
QA can be performed after each step of the work is performed or at the end.
How Do QC and QA Work Together?
Because QC during water storage tank coating is basically the monitoring of the paint and coating operation and QA is the review of that same process afterward, both judged by the success of the end result.
QC and QA are two additional parts of the operation that serve to improve it while monitoring production quality.
Findings from QA of the procedure followed by a thorough tank inspection are used to review and change both the QC and production procedures, when necessary.
The Big Picture of Paint Coating QC and QA
The lifespan and serviceability of expensive oil and water storage tanks depend significantly on adequate protection against corrosion.
Since poor applications of protective paint coatings are an issue, companies owning or buying tanks need to hire their own third-party corrosion engineers or other qualified water and oil tank inspectors to handle paint coating QC and QA.
The extra effort made upfront for ensuring a quality coating job will pay for itself many times over through longer service life and lower repair costs resulting from corrosion.
