Quality Assurance for New Reactors
Quality assurance (QA) comprises all planned and systematic actions that are necessary to provide adequate confidence that a structure, system, or component will perform satisfactorily in service. Attributes of a QA program include procedures, recordkeeping, inspections, corrective actions, and audits.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reviews and inspects QA programs and their implementation for nuclear steam system suppliers; architect-engineering firms; suppliers of safety-related and commercial-grade products and services; calibration and testing laboratories; and holders of NRC construction permits, operating licenses, and combined licenses in quality-related areas. In conducting these inspections, the NRC's objective is to determine whether licensees and their contractors are meeting the agency's requirements. In particular, the NRC reviews the QA programs for commercial nuclear power plants. In addition, for operating nuclear power plants, the NRC reviews any changes that reduce previous commitments to the plant’s QA program. For more detail, see the following related pages:
Page Last Reviewed/Updated Friday, September 16, 2022