International classification society RINA has joined forces with leading UK-based coatings testing company Bodycote to launch a global Corrosion Prevention and Coatings (CPC) programme. The heart of the programme will be a CPC Training Course for shipyard and shipowner staff, and testing facilities for type approval of coatings according to the new IMO requirements.

The aim of the programme is to substantially raise awareness of modern coating standards and regulations, deliver practical knowledge on the application, inspection and verification of coatings and provide facilities to enable customers & suppliers to meet the new IMO requirements.

Salerno says, “Coatings are a major issue for shipowners today. They want and need higher standards of coatings to maintain their ships in the correct condition, and it is part of our role as class to provide them with a verifiable platform to ensure that their staff, and the yard staff who work on their ships, fully understand how best to manage coating application and inspection. We are very pleased to join forces with Bodycote, which has a world-wide network of testing laboratories and many years of experience in the field of coatings testing and inspection. We will contribute our skills in training, verification and assessment, ensuring that our clients get training and certification with the highest technical standards and a consistent high standard everywhere in the world.”

The first courses will be launched in Korea in January 2008, with further courses in China beginning in March. Thereafter courses will be run world wide, as part of RINA’s services to owners that go beyond classification.

The first coating testing facility approved in accordance with IMO PSPC requirements and IACS PR34 has been established in the Bodycote Laboratory in Manchester, UK and further facilities worldwide are planned in the coming months.

RINA has taken a lead on coatings, and its UK manager, Andy Alderson, has chaired the IACS & Industry working groups on coatings as well as working closely with IMO.

RINA SpA is the operational company of Registro Italiano Navale, founded in Genoa in 1861, and is one of the oldest classification societies and one of the ten most important in the world. Throughout its history, RINA has progressively diversified its activities, transferring the skills acquired and consolidated in the marine industries to other sectors, covering quality, environmental and product management system certification, social accountability certification, advanced services for industry, offering strategic support to organisations which operate nationally and internationally, thus guaranteeing Italy an authoritative figure in the shipping and industrial sectors.

RINA has ninety offices in over thirty countries and employs around 1,000 exclusive personnel. Through its Marine Division RINA has a classed fleet of over 20 million GT, plus over 1,000 yachts and over 300 special units (military ships, coast guard, police and fire brigade craft). It is a world leader in passenger ship classification. Last year it launched a major training initiative under the banner of RINA Training Academy.