A Guide to Meeting Australian Coating Inspection Standards 

Standards play an extremely important role in determining how any industrial coatings are planned an applied by owners, fabricators, and applicators. When it comes to Australia and New Zealand, this process is dominated by AS/NZS 2312, AS/NZS 5131, and ISO 12944 standards. The difference between compliance on paper and long-lasting industrial assets is all about understanding what is covered by these coating inspection standards and how they should be implemented in the field.  

Understanding Each Standard 

  • AS/NZS 2312 provides detailed guidelines on choosing and specifying coating systems for the protection of structural steel used in different industrial environments. It is split into two different parts for paint systems and hot-dip galvanizing, with example systems and environment categories for achieving different durability targets.  
  • The second standard, AS/NZS 5131 relates to the fabrication and erection for structural steelwork. Section 9 of this standard is a critical one, covering surface treatment and corrosion protection. It also links steelwork quality regime to coating quality levels like PC1 and PC2.  
  • The global framework for corrosion protection of steel by protective paint systems is ISO 12944. It covers durability ranges, environment categories, application, system selection, and testing across multiple parts.  

A Roadmap to Compliance  

  • Before first major maintenance, it is important to determine desired service life and identify atmospheric exposure such as industrial, coastal, inland, etc. Environments are classified by ISO 12944 from C1 for very low through C5 for very high.  Local guidance and example systems for Australian conditions are provided by AS/NZS 2312.  
  • An appropriate primer, intermediate, or topcoat stack compliant with the chosen environment and durability for painted systems can be picked with the help of AS/NZS 2312.1 and ISO 12944-5. On the other hand, AS/NZS 2312.2 can be used for galvanizing systems.  
  • As per the AS/NZS 5131 standards, it is required to set the coating quality level and the extent of quality documentation. 
  • Surface preparation is a common factor that often leads to coating failures. To specify your surface preparation, you may reference ISO 8501-1 visual grades alongside AS 1627 (Australian preparation series). Also, your blasting profile must be aligned with the exact coating system data sheet. 
  • Now, create a clear inspection and test plan (ITP) with measureable checkpoints. It helps map the work from steel receipt to final sign-off.  Some typical hold points include surface prep verification, wet film and dry film thickness checks, adhesion and cure, environmental conditions, and defect survey and rectification.    
  • Finally, please make sure that responsibilities are coordinated across stakeholders.  

Final Thoughts     

Compliance with Australian coating inspection standards demands building a process that combines global paint system language (ISO 12944), local system selection (AS/NZS 2312), and steelwork QA (AS/NZS 5131). By aligning these three standards from specification through surface prep, application, inspection, and documentation, it is possible to achieve predictable durability and fewer disputes.  

If you have any other questions and doubts about industrial coatings, please contact our experts at Coating Management Solutions.