The ICAS, started initially as a joint project with Waugh Technical Services (UK), was launched in 28 November 2008 as a coating inspector approval scheme of the Singapore Welding Society (SWS). With effect from 6 September 2010, ICAS is now owned and managed solely by the SWS.
The scheme is governed as before by the rules and regulations presented in the ICAS Requirements Document, the updated version of which can be viewed at the SWS web site, www.sws.org.sg. Revisions in this document have been made mainly where management of the scheme is concerned. The critical changes made recently in the management of ICAS are briefly presented in this article.
The SWS is now fully responsible for all matters related to the Authorised Training Organisations (ATO), training courses by the ATO, examination and certification process, and periodic revision of examination papers. Within the SWS Governing Council, the ICAS Committee will be responsible for the development of coatings inspector and other related programmes, the establishment of ATO within and outside Singapore, and the interactions with the ICAS Coatings Technical & Training Committee (CTTC). The ICAS Committee will be aided by two independent committees comprising members mainly from industry and academia:
- A Qualification Committee for the auditing and quality assurance of the ATO, approval of course lecturers and examiners, scheme administration, etc.
- A Board of Examiners for the ICAS examinations, revision/review of examination papers, moderation of examination results, procedures and conduct of examination, and implementation of the advice and recommendations of the CTTC.
The CTTC comprising internationally recognised coatings and corrosion experts will be an important and influential advisory body to the ICAS on matters related to examination standard and procedures, course syllabi and their changes according to technology updates, safety requirements, evolvement of working practices in industry and revisions in international standards on coatings. The updated ICAS organisational structure and the composition of the CTTC are shown below.
The objectives of the ICAS will remain unchanged as before:
- To qualify coating inspectors and coating operatives in the industrial and marine industries to a standard recognised and accepted by national and international oil, gas and civil engineering companies worldwide.
- To train and test by examination candidates who can (i) carry out inspection procedures competently, (ii) keep records in accordance with clients’ requirements, and (iii) demonstrate a sound theoretical knowledge of the subject at the various levels of the ICAS.
- To establish a worldwide network of ATO for ICAS training courses and examinations.
The ICAS will provide examinations leading to certification in the following modules from time to time as they are made available:
Coating Inspector Modules
- SWS ICAS Coating Inspector Level 1
- SWS ICAS Coating Inspector Level 2
- SWS ICAS Coating Inspector Level 3
Additional Modules (for those who are holders of at least SWS ICAS Coating Inspector Level 1)
- SWS ICAS Pipeline Coating Inspector
- SWS ICAS Corrosion/Coating Surveyor
- SWS ICAS Critical Coating Inspector
- SWS ICAS Fireproofing Coating Inspector
- SWS ICAS Insulation Inspector
Operatives Modules (no entry restriction)
- SWS ICAS Blaster/Preparation Operative
- SWS ICAS Painter/Sprayer Operative
- SWS ICAS Coating Supervisor
ICAS examinations will comprise multi-choice question and narrative theory papers, practical tests and oral questioning, the latter two assessments being on a one-on-one basis. All ICAS examiners with the prerequisite ICAS qualifications or equivalent and experiences are specially trained on the procedures to conduct such examinations. For the purpose of maintaining integrity and a uniform, respectable standard of examination, SWS will be the examination/certification body, leaving only the training courses to the ATO, provided the latter has adequately trained and competent, local or foreign, course lecturers with the prerequisite ICAS qualifications or equivalent and experiences. Each ATO covering wholly or partially a particular country or group of countries will be responsible for organising courses based on ICAS syllabi and other specific requirements, setting adequate facilities and equipment for SWS-authorised/appointed examiners to conduct the examinations whenever requested by the ATO, and setting course and examination fees at its own discretion according to varying operating costs and levels of industrial, economic and human resource development in different cities and countries.
The 1st examination/certification exercise under the revised scheme was successfully conducted in October 2010, at the end of a training course organised by the ATO, Setsco Services Pte Ltd. The 2nd and 3rd exercises following two more training courses by this ATO are scheduled respectively in January and March 2011 with more to come in the following months of the year. With maturity over time, the ICAS will be able to offer several advantages such as a worldwide network of ATO at strategic locations, affordable, market-oriented training and certification fees, and a vital avenue for the training, examination and certification of competent coating inspection personnel essential and necessary for the quality assurance, development and growth of many industries in different countries. Eventually, for international recognition, SWS will work towards an ISO-based accreditation by the Singapore Accreditation Council (SAC) when the programme for accreditation of certification bodies is available in Singapore.
Who Should Attend?
All personnel who are responsible for carrying out, supervising, or inspecting, and/or in some manner involved in making decisions and exercising judgement concerning protective coating in the following industries:
Construction, Manufacturing, Oil and Gas and Petrochemical Industries, Power Generation and Power Stations, Shipbuilding, Ship Reapair, Offshore Fabrication, Railways, Metal Fabrication, Service, Maintenance and etc.
Please click here for ICAS Organizational Chart 
ICAS Requirement Doc Ver 2 Rev 1 / ICAS CTTC Constitution Terms of Reference
ICAS ATO Application Form / ICAS Examination Application Form