1.1 This Standard defines the minimum requirements for evaluating the competency and certifying the Contractor / Applicator personnel, involved in surface preparation, coating application, or supervising blasting and coating application at shops or in the field. 1.2 The scope includes both new and maintenance painting activities. 1.3 If the coating application is at vendor facility outside GCC, then the vendor’s personnel competency shall follow the vendor's quality assurance system, which shall be reviewed and approved by the Oil & Gas Client. 1.4 The evaluation of blasting personnel includes manual and automatic blasting; while the evaluation of coating personnel includes one or more of the following categories: