Foreword (1 January 2017) The steel structure of a vessel is prone to corrosion throughout its service life. Due allowance should be made at the new building stage and by periodic maintenance to provide effective corrosion protection that contributes to the continued structural integrity of the vessel. Given the emphasis on protective coatings in the various mandated Rules and Regulations and the unprecedented acceleration of coating technology@ personnel involved with coatings should have factual knowledge of coating systems and the applicable standards. It is the intent of these Guidance Notes to meet this need in a straight-forward and practical manner. The Performance Standards for Protective Coatings (PSPC) from IMO are intended to standardize the requirements for protective coatings for ballast tanks@ cargo oil tanks and void spaces for a target of 15 years of useful life. A good quality protective coating can delay the onset of corrosion of the structure. The mandated standards represent the latest in the line of many regulatory actions taken to enhance vessel longevity and thereby enhance safety. There has been an increased industry focus placed on the consequences of corrosion and an increased demand for better coating performance as primary corrosion control. This has led to adoption of ballast tanks?? PSPC for SOLAS Chapter II Part A-1 Regulation 3-2 on December 8@ 2006@ and adoption of PSPC for cargo oil tanks of all crude oil tankers per SOLAS Chapter II Part A-1 Regulation 3-11 on May 21@ 2010. Those mandated PSPC standards specify requirements for coating application processes during various stages of new construction. To help industry to understand the major elements of PSPC requirements@ ABS has produced and maintained this publication since 2007. As a direct response to the needs of industry personnel involved with the PSPC implementation@ a complete revision has addressed the fundamentals of coating technology as applied to ship structures for the regulatory requirements for coatings in ballast tanks@ void spaces@ cargo tanks@ cargo holds and outer hull anti-fouling systems. Figure 1 gives a brief timeline of requirements or recommendations from IMO and IACS. These Guidance Notes start with the basics of the chemistry@ and mechanics of corrosion to understand protective coatings as a barrier to corrosion. The coating application process technology and coating inspection for surface preparation@ environmental controls@ film thickness measurements and the methods of coating application are included. Once a vessel is in-service@ the coatings are subject to various conditions. To aid in the assessment of the coatings in service@ coating assessment methods and typical failures are illustrated as guidance. For ballast tank??s PSPC of ABS classed vessels only@ ABS provides the Guide for the Class Notation Coating Performance Standard (CPS) and a detailed procedure to obtain the ABS CPS notation. ABS also provides the optional notations Environmental Protection (ENVIRO) or Environmental Protection Plus (ENVIRO+) for vessels and antifouling systems are as part of the ENVIRO or ENVIRO+ Notation requirement. Please note that the adoption of ballast water exchange practices (as per IMO Resolution A.868(20)) may potentially have a negative effect on the longevity of the coatings. NACE has developed a test standard (NACE TM0112-2012) to determine the potential corrosion effects of Ballast Water Treatment Systems on Ballast Tanks. These Guidance Notes become effective on the first day of the month of publication. Users are advised to check periodically on the ABS website www.eagle.org to verify that this version of these Guidance Notes is the most current. We welcome your feedback. Comments or suggestions can be sent electronically by email to rsd@eagle.org.