Training essential for corrosion management

Corrosion imposes a massive cost on industry. A cost that has been estimated to be more than 3% — or many billions of dollars — of global GDP each year. All products deteriorate at different rates over time depending on the materials used, the corrosivity of the environment and the mechanisms involved. It is important that staff understand the risks associated with corrosion and the different preventive and remediation technologies available that help to minimise, or eliminate, those risks.

As part of its ongoing professional development training program, the Australasian Corrosion Association (ACA) presents a range of technical seminars and training courses teaching effective and efficient management of corrosion. ACA courses offer the most up-to-date corrosion control information available today and are designed to produce competently trained personnel in a variety of corrosion-related fields. Association members are entitled to discounts on course fees and both members and non-members can book places on all courses and events online via the ACA’s training website.

The objective of ACA’s two-day ‘Hot Dip Galvanizing’ course is to train individuals to correctly assess the suitability of fabricated steel articles for the hot dip galvanising process and to correctly inspect hot dip galvanised steel articles to ensure compliance to Australian, New Zealand and international standards. The course, to be run 30–31 March, is designed for those interested in increasing their knowledge of galvanised coatings, or those who want to become Certified ACA Hot Dip Galvanizing Inspectors.

Topics covered in the course include: an introduction to corrosion and its prevention; local and international hot dip galvanising standards; design considerations for the hot dip galvanising process; repair of damaged and uncoated areas of galvanised steel; and the inspection of jobs before, during and after galvanising.

In Adelaide, the ACA will be running its three-day ‘Coatings Selection and Specification’ course 26–28 April. The course provides theoretical and practical information on coatings selection for corrosion control. Ensuring a quality coating job includes selecting the correct coating system, writing a good specification and inspection before, during and after the project. Based on the recently updated AS/NZS 2312.1 Standard, the course is designed for architects, engineers, corrosion technicians, project managers, coating applicators and technical representatives of coating suppliers.

On completion of this course, participants will be able to determine the corrosivity of an atmospheric environment; identify the design and fabrication features of steel structures which influence coating durability; and recognise the different types of paint coatings, their properties and where they are used. In addition, they will learn the requirements and duties of a coating inspector and define the factors to be considered when selecting an inspector for a project.

Most courses — including Coatings Selection and Specification and Hot Dip Galvanizing — can be presented exclusively for an organisation and the ACA can tailor any course to an organisation’s specific requirements.

The ACA is also hosting a series of technical events during the year, including ‘Introduction to Corrosion’ on Thursday, 4 May in Adelaide and on Thursday, 18 May in Perth and ‘Corrosion in the Oil & Gas Industry’ on Thursday, 23 May in Brisbane. In addition, across the Tasman, the Association will present ‘Protecting New Zealand Infrastructure’ on Thursday, 11 May in Auckland. Details for these seminars can be found on the ACA’s website under Events.