IUPAT Launches First-of-Its-Kind Water Tank Training Program

The industrial painting industry across North America is about to see a massive upgrade in specialized safety and skilled training. The first phase of a groundbreaking elevated water tank training program is officially underway at the Finishing Trades Institute (FTI) Training Center in Weston, West Virginia. This initiative is bringing together a team of instructors, coordinators, and industry experts from across the United States and Canada to build a first-of-its-kind training curriculum on water tank containment and coating for the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT).

The centerpiece of this initiative is the West Virginia FTI Training Center’s full-size elevated water tank. The only elevated water tank in the United States dedicated exclusively to hands-on training and curriculum development. Once completed, the comprehensive program will cover critical field operations, such as:

• Tank coatings and specialized applications
• Advanced containment systems
• Complex rigging and structural staging
• Abrasive blasting
• Lead abatement
• Surface preparation
• Comprehensive safety procedures, and much more

The road to launching this program has been one of perseverance and commitment for many. Ken Seal, Deputy Director of the International Finishing Trades Institute (iFTI), noted that the project has overcome many hurdles and that, with the right team in place, this initiative has now begun.

“We know this was important enough that we needed to continue, so we regrouped and got it done,” said Ken.

This project requires a systematic development process. Phase one focuses on installing the complex rigging and support system necessary to handle the heavy containment setups. Phase two is scheduled to roll out later this summer and will focus on the containment system itself before entering the final stages of live blasting and coating operations.

“Phase two is really about getting the tarp system or containment system installed on the rigging system,” Ken explained. “Once the tarp system is installed, we can actually pull that up and fully enclose the tank to keep everything contained inside.”

Historically, industrial tank training has not been consistent with previous training protocols that were scattered across various education sectors. But this training is necessary, as the industry currently lacks an up-to-date, modern curriculum specifically for water tanks. Much of the available training has been compartmentalized into other modules and is not a standalone piece of curriculum. By creating a dedicated, centralized curriculum, the IUPAT expects to deliver high tangible benefits for both union members and contractors.

As there is no curriculum like this whatsoever, the IUPAT found that it’s better we train our membership so they feel safer on the job site and have more work opportunities.

One of the advantages of having a water tank standing on the Weston FTI Training Center is the ability to train members without the pressure of being on an active job site. Apprentices and journey workers can refine their skills, make mistakes, and learn the physics of rigging safely. This allows IUPAT industrial painters to stay up to speed so that when they are on a job site, they’re productive, know what they are doing, and can do it safely.

To ensure this initiative meets top-tier industry standards, the project has assembled an elite team of subject-matter experts. A diverse group of instructors and coordinators from multiple District Councils, staff members from both IUPAT and iFTI, and seasoned field professionals who are lending their expertise. Along with Mitchelle Burchett, a retired boilermaker with more than 30 years of heavy rigging experience, who has been instrumental in providing on-site advice.

This has been a long-term vision for the IUPAT. The West Virginia FTI Training Center originally acquired the property in 2009, and a formal committee was established a few years later, with participants drawn from across the United States and Canada, as well as from the IUPAT head office in Hanover, Maryland. All phases of this initiative are being documented on film, with the materials integrated into the firm’s curriculum and used for future “train-the-trainer” programs.