Quality Assurance Guideline for Procuring High-Quality Industrial Grade Items Aimed at Supporting Safety Functions in Nuclear Facilities

FORATOM European Guideline on High Quality Industrial Grade Dedication

In June 2020, the FORATOM Supply Chain Optimisation Working Group published a report entitled Optimising the European Nuclear Supply Chain – Use of High-Quality Industrial Grade Items in European Nuclear Installations. Based on the observations and recommendations within the report, FORATOM, in collaboration with European Nuclear Installations Safety Standards Initiative (ENISS), embarked on a project to publish a European Guideline on the Use of High-Quality Industrial Grade Items in Nuclear Facilities which is compatible with the well-established commercial-grade dedication (CGD) methodology. The European Guideline project was an industry-led initiative sponsored by a steering group comprised of ten European national nuclear associations, nuclear installation licensees and vendors.

The European Guideline offers guidance and advice for European stakeholders, primarily nuclear installation licensees, on a methodology for establishing confidence in high-quality industrial grade items intended for applications important to nuclear safety. This Guideline aims to be the foundation from which nuclear licensees and third parties develop their own processes and procedures on a voluntary basis. The Guideline supports safety in the nuclear industry by clearly describing the proven ways in which the quality of items important to safety, and their suppliers’ management systems, can be verified to gain confidence in the suitability of the items for use in nuclear facilities. It supports the sustainability of the nuclear industry by creating a flexible quality assurance approach for existing and future licensed operating organizations. There is no certification scheme anticipated for this guideline.

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