QP frequently asked questions
Have questions about how or where to get started with your QP accreditation? See some of our most frequently asked questions about achieving accreditation below:
How do I know if I qualify to apply for QP Accreditation?
Qualification depends on the program for which you are applying. Generally, to be eligible for accreditation, QP programs require a company to have been in business under the same ownership for 18 months, with 12 months of successful production and implementation of quality programs. The SSPC-QP 2 standard requires 12 months of production history with removal of hazardous materials.
How long does it take to become QP Accredited?
The accreditation process can take up to 2 months or more. The time it takes to become QP Accredited can vary depending on many factors, including the quality of your initial application package, your location, your project schedules, and scope of work.For any questions, please contact
QPInfo@ampp.org.
What preparations need to be done BEFORE applying for QP Accreditation?
To prepare for QP Accreditation(s), we recommend that you review the associated QP standard(s) and audit checklist document(s) to ensure your business has the necessary experience and appropriate business license and documentation.
- Review the relevant QP standard(s) and make sure you are performing work to that standard.
- Download the audit checklist(s) that corresponds with your scope of work and perform an internal audit. (You will submit this with your application.)
What are the steps to apply for QP Accreditation?
To prepare for QP Accreditation(s), we recommend that you review the associated QP standard(s) and audit checklist document(s) to ensure your business has the necessary experience and appropriate business license and documentation.
- Once you have reviewed and completed the previous two steps, download, and complete the detailed application form(s), and gather your quality control, safety, and environmental compliance programs and other required processes/procedures documentation.
- Make sure to provide future projects and dates on the application(s) to help the auditor determine the best time to schedule the onsite audit.
- Failure to provide a complete package will delay your acceptance.
- Submit your application and documentation to QPApplications@ampp.org.
- See How do I submit the application(s) and documentation? for details.
- Provide payment information for the QP Accreditation Program(s) that you are applying for.
- See QP Fee Schedule and payment options for details.
How do I submit the application(s) and documentation?
- We no longer accept paper documents. If you only have paper documents, you will need to scan them into an electronic PDF format.
- If you do not have the means to provide the files electronically, we suggest that you take your paper documents to a local company to have them scanned.
- Many companies provide scanning services, for example, FedEx Office Print & Ship Centers, Office Depot, Staples, etc.
- Make each document a separate PDF (i.e., Quality Manual, HS&E Manual, Organizational Chart, etc.) and name it appropriately.
- If your documentation is too large to email, our preference is providing us with a link to a cloud storage service for download (i.e., Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, WeTransfer, etc.).
- Submissions and links should be sent here.
QP Fee Schedule and payment options
- North American QP Fee Schedule (US & Canada) – coming soon
- International QP Fee Schedule – coming soon
- Payment options include (details found on the QP Fee Schedule):
- Check
- Credit Card
- ACH or Wire transfer
- Payment must be received in full before the administrative audit can be performed.
- AMPP reserves the right to return any incomplete applications or those that do not meet the requirements.
Once AMPP receives my application, documents, and payment, what happens next?
- An administrative review is performed on your submittals.
- You will be contacted if required documents are missing or inadequate.
- Once your submittal is accepted, an AMPP Technical Auditor will be assigned and contact you directly to schedule an onsite visit of both the company’s primary place of business and/or an active job site to demonstrate the company’s capabilities*.
- Comply with a rigorously enforced Disciplinary Action Code (DAC)
*Due to Covid 19 travel restrictions and protocols, these may take place in person, virtually or a combination of both. Field virtual audits are only used during extenuating circumstances and will not be repeated virtually in the subsequent year.
Now that the audit has been completed, what should I expect next?
- If you pass your audit with no deficiency findings, you will be notified via email and receive an electronic certificate. You will also be given a graphic seal that can be used to display on your website, in your marketing materials, and your email signature that should be linked back to the AMPP website for verification.
- Accredited coatings contractors must maintain program guidelines on all projects. This applies even when the contract or project specifications do not name QP accreditation as a requirement.
- If you would like a physical plaque to display a certificate, please contact us at accreditation@ampp.org. They can be provided for a small fee to cover shipping and handling.
- If deficiencies are found during your audit, a Corrective Action Plan Form (CAP) for each finding must be individually submitted based on the criteria provided in the CAP Form. Once your CAP submission is reviewed and approved, you will then receive your accreditation.
What if I do not pass the audit?
- At the conclusion of your audit, you will receive a Customer Summary Report (CSR). If you have deficiency findings during your audit, they will appear on the CSR. You will have 45 days to report the reason for the finding(s) and provide documentation of steps that you made to resolve the issue now and prevent reoccurrences in the future. This includes an analysis to identify the root cause of the deficiency. Refer to the CAPs process below.
What is a Corrective Action Report (CAR) or Corrective Action Plan (CAP)?
- If deficiencies are found during your audit, a contractor or inspection company is responsible for creating a Corrective Action Request (CAR) for each finding based on the criteria below using the Corrective Action Plan Form (CAP) form.
- based on the criteria below using the Corrective Action Plan Form (CAP) form. Each deficiency finding must be individually submitted on a separate CAP Form. If you have documentation updates or proof of compliance, please attach and submit them for review along with the CAP form.
CAPs are due 45 days from the audit date for the following:
- Any Major finding
- 5 or more Minor findings
- A combination of any Major and Minor findings – all require CAPs - Majors and Minors
- Or at the discretion of the QP Accreditation Program Manager by request
- Note: If there are 4 or fewer minor findings, no CAP is required. However, you are welcome to send your resolution as documentation as these will be reviewed at your next annual audit to avoid the possibility of overlooking a minor finding and having it become a major deficiency in the future. Addressing it at the time will help you avoid quality issues, rework, safety risks, etc.
How do I complete a CAP?
- CAP or Corrective Action Plan is a program that consists of a CAP form and instructions that allow you to systematically respond to each major finding (rating of “1” and all minor findings on initial accreditation audits) and submit them to the AMPP Accreditation Program Manager for acceptance. If you have any major/minor findings, the auditor will notify you at the audit out brief and request Corrective Action Reports for each major/minor finding. When that happens, the first step is to review the form along with the instructions and use them to:
- Describe how you corrected the immediate problem. This may also be referred to as the “fix” or “corrective measure” taken. For example, if the auditor finds inspection instruments out of calibration, the immediate fix or corrective measure is to either send the instruments to a qualified lab to have them recalibrated or discard any instrument that is broken and not worth fixing. In short, get the damaged or improperly operating instrument out of service.
- The second step in the process is to do and document a “root cause analysis.” Simply put, this means “why” the deficiency occurred and your management needs to discuss what broke down in the system that you had previously set up that caused the finding in the first place. Once the “root cause” is determined, the next step is to install a permanent change or “preventive action” in your quality system to prevent the problem from recurring. Using the instrument example above, you might have discovered during the root cause analysis that the smooth operation of this component of your system depended upon one key person. And when that person was unavailable for an extended period of time due to an illness, there was no qualified person trained to perform back-up duties.
- The third step or corrective action would be to train one or two qualified backup(s) to avoid recurrence of this problem. This might require training an existing staff member or outsourcing the work.
- The last step in the overall “corrective action plan” would be for management to follow up to ensure that an effective backup plan is in place and working effectively to handle instrument calibrations when the key person is unavailable to direct the process. The entire process is called “Corrective Action.” “Corrective Action” is beneficial as it allows your company to identify problems and mistakes, conduct a detailed root cause analysis, implement corrective action, and install procedures that prevent them from happening again. Recurring problems in a quality system can increase rework, thus cutting into production and job profits. If safety is involved, recurring problems can lead to accidents and injuries. The more you and your organization are willing to recognize problems and address them, the less likely these problems will reoccur. Continually improving your operation allows your organization to operate more efficiently, cost-effectively, and keeps your customers satisfied.
- For more information about how to implement a Corrective Action Plan, contact CAPs@ampp.org.
What is root cause analysis?
- The root cause analysis includes steps to help you understand and properly fill out the route cause analysis on your CAP form. 90% of rejected Correction Action Plans (CAPs) are due to inadequate root causes.
- Access our Root Cause Analysis Document
When does my accreditation expire?
- All accreditations fall under a three-year auditing cycle. You’ll start with an Initial audit, the second year is an Annual 1 audit, third is Annual 2 audit, fourth year is a Full audit.
- Accreditations are for the period of March 31st of the current year to March 31st of the following year.
- To maintain accreditation on a yearly basis, maintenance applications and applicable fees are submitted annually. Renewal invoices are sent during the Fall and payment is due by December 15th to avoid late fees for the following year accreditation.
How can someone verify my accreditation?
What is a Job Notification?
- AMPP keeps all Job Notification information in strict confidence. Accredited contractors are required to submit job information on “reportable” field jobs to AMPP within 15 days of contract award. Reportable jobs are defined as:
- International QP Fee Schedule – coming soon
- All prime contracts for public work that involve coating and related work with a dollar value of $100,000 or greater.
- All public contracts (issued by federal, state, or local governments) for coating work in which you are the subcontractor, regardless of the contract amount.
- All coating and related work where QP 1 or QP 2 are contract specified or when QP 1 or QP 2 is included in the contractor qualification/evaluation process.
- NOTE: Changes in the schedule and scope of a project require a resubmittal of the Job Notification for that project.
- Please complete all fields. If a required field does not apply, then fill in with “N/A.”
For QP Accredited Contractors:
For QP 5 Accredited Inspection Companies:
What is the Disciplinary Action Criteria (DAC)?
- DAC, or the Disciplinary Action Criteria, was first released in January 1998. DAC is the consensus document that establishes criteria to discipline accredited contractors who violate safety, quality, environmental, and ethical practice standards of performance as is outlined in the DAC standard via the audit program. The DAC also issues warnings to accredited contractors, putting firms on probation, conducting special unannounced audits, and suspending and revoking the accreditation of contractors when critical faults have been reported and verified. We list recent actions taken against QP accredited contractors found to be in violation of the DAC or other program requirements.
- Once accredited, each contractor must work within the rules and standards outlined in the program. If the standards are not met, the contractor is subject to the DAC’s penalties: warning, probation, suspension, or revocation.
For QP Accredited Contractors:
For QP 5 Accredited Inspection Companies:
Quick Links to QP documents and forms:
CAP Forms and Instructions:
For QP Accredited Contractors:
For QP 5 Accredited Inspection Companies:
How do I contact AMPP’s QP Accreditation department if I have more questions or need further assistance?
Pittsburgh Office
800 Trumbull Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15205
Pittsburgh, PA 15205
Houston Office
15835 Park Ten Place
Houston, TX 77084
Houston, TX 77084