NRC Perspectives on Quality Assurance ASQ 35 th Annual Energy & Environmental Training and Education Conference Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina

Transcription

1 NRC Perspectives on Quality Assurance ASQ 35 th Annual Energy & Environmental Training and Education Conference Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina Glenn M. Tracy, Director Division of Construction Inspection & Operational Programs September 16, 2008

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3 NUREG-1055 First published in 1984 Significant quality-related concerns included: Inadequate management control Lack of construction experience and false sense of security based on prior successes Failure to encourage problem reporting and resolution Failure to appropriately delegate Lack of clear communication 3

4 NUREG-1055 (continued) Continuing validity of NUREG-1055 concerns: Olkiluoto 3 in Finland Lungmen in Taiwan Flamanville-3 in France MOX facility 4

5 Construction and Operational Experience Program Updated NRC-INPO MOA to include new builds Issued a RIS on lessons learned on ITAAC reviews Issued an IN on counterfeit parts Drafted an IN on 3 concrete-related ConE events Drafted an NRO office instruction on ConE process Facilitated exchange of inspectors with Finland and Taiwan Significant interactions with international counterparts Evaluated 82 operating experience (OpE) events applicable to the design and construction of new reactors 5

6 Example 1: Catawba AFW pump inoperability due to potential flooding protection deficiencies In January 2008, Catawba discovered that restrictor plates were not welded over floor drain openings (EN 43945) Cause: Failure of the licensee QA program and construction oversight OpE/ConE process results: Event is applicable to all new reactor designs and is safety-significant because of a loss of a passive flood barrier Identified specific improvements for NRC construction inspection procedures (IMC 2503 and IMC2504) Similar past experiences were examined and was concluded that a generic communication (information notice) is warranted 6

7 Example 2: Unidentified Piping Weld Joints at YGN-3 KINS inspector found an unidentified weld joint in the safety injection system piping during installation inspection (inspection of NDE of adjacent weld joints) - Requested a radiographic examination of the weld - Verified it was an unidentified weld joint The inspector required the licensee to examine all piping of the safety class and seismic category in YGN # 3 & 4-43 unidentified weld zones including those of the non-safety class were additionally discovered - All of them were cut out, re-welded and documented 7

8 Unidentified Piping Weld Joints (cont d) Cause Misalignment of the final weld joint of a piping fixed by head plate / piping weld Workers cut the original piping and inserted pups Weld joint was neither inspected nor documented Lesson Importance of installation order to avoid difficulty in fabrication piping Head plate Concrete wall piping Piping penetration Head plate type support 8

9 Worldwide Construction Finland Russia France Canada Slovakia Japan S. Korea Iran Pakistan India Taiwan China Argentina 9

10 Global Supply Chain UK Germany Canada France US Spain Italy Japan S. Korea China 10

11 Vendor Inspection Insights Inadequate implementation of Part 21 requirements (IN ) Inadequate commercial grade dedication programs (lack of engineering involvement) Inappropriate use of commercial supplier surveys Unfamiliarity with NRC regulations (new and existing suppliers) 11

12 International Cooperation Active member of newly-formed Vendor Inspection Cooperation Working Group (VICWG) Joint activities conducted with Korea, France, Finland, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, and Japan 12

13 Quality Assurance Topics Licensing Reviews Design Verification Inspections Standards Development Activities 13

14 Future Activities/Initiatives Anticipate increasing number of vendor inspections in future fiscal years Public workshop on NRC QA and reporting requirements in the planning stages Expansion of international cooperation Focus on programs and training to identify counterfeit parts 14

15 Prerequisites to Success Effective licensee management oversight of construction Detailed designs must be complete prior to construction Maintain the integrity of the global supply chain 15