Standard · Systems, environments and degradation
IMO PSPC
SOLAS rules for ballast-tank and bulk-carrier double-side skin coatings.
The IMO Performance Standard for Protective Coatings (PSPC), resolution MSC.215(82), is mandatory under SOLAS for dedicated seawater ballast tanks of new ships and for the double-side skin spaces of bulk carriers. It is built around a 15-year target service life in "good" condition.
What it asks for
- Epoxy-based systems with a light-coloured top coat, prequalified by test.
- A total nominal DFT of 320 µm, judged by the 90/10 rule: at least 90 % of readings at or above the nominal, and none of the rest below 90 % of it.
- At least two stripe coats and two spray coats.
- Soluble salts at most 50 mg/m² as NaCl, RH no higher than 85 %, and steel at least 3 °C warmer than the dew point during blasting and coating.
- A coating technical file that records the work and stays with the ship.
The inspector
Inspection is by qualified coating inspectors. The standard named NACE Coating Inspector Level 2 or FROSIO Inspector Level III, or an equivalent the Administration accepts; an amendment adopted in 2024 names the AMPP Certified Coatings Inspector in place of the NACE title.
4 practice items in the members area mention IMO PSPC (CIP 1: 1 · CIP 2: 1 · FROSIO written: 2).
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This page describes the subject of IMO PSPC in our own words; it does not reproduce the standard. For the full text, buy the current edition from IMO. Checked on 2026-10-14; errors go in the corrections log. CoatMentor is an independent study aid. It is not affiliated with ISO, AMPP, SSPC, NACE International, ASTM or FROSIO.