Information Notice No. 91-21: Inadequate Quality Assurance Program of Vendor Supplying Safety-Related Equipment

UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555

March 19, 1991

Information Notice No. 91-21:

INADEQUATE QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAM OF VENDOR SUPPLYING SAFETY-RELATED EQUIPMENT

• Addressees:
• Purpose:
• Discussion:

Addressees:

All holders of operating licenses or construction permits for nuclear power reactors and all recipients of NUREG-0040, "Licensee Contractor and Vendor Inspection Status Report" (White Book).

Purpose:

This information notice is to alert addressees of deficiencies that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff identified in the quality assurance (QA) program of Mock Manufacturing, Incorporated (MMI), Great Neck, New York, during an NRC inspection of MMI in May 1990. MMI manufactures and supplies replacement hardware for watertight doors that are used in nuclear safety-related applications. It is expected that recipients will review the information for applicability to their facilities and consider actions, as appropriate, to avoid similar problems. However, suggestions contained in this notice do not constitute NRC requirements; therefore, no specific action or written response is required.

Discussion:

On May 10 and 11, 1990, the NRC's Vendor Inspection Branch performed an inspection at MMI and identified deficiencies in their QA program, including the failure to establish adequate procedures to evaluate and report to customers deviations in safety-related equipment. The staff also identified significant deficiencies regarding design control and subsupplier audits. MMI has not responded to the NRC's repeated requests for corrective action.

During the inspection, the NRC noted that several licensees have approved MMI as a supplier of safety-related equipment to the requirements of Appendix B to Part 50 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR Part 50).

Following the inspection, the NRC learned that several licensees have removed MMI from their approved suppliers list as a result of deficiencies that they identified during implementation audits of MMI's QA program. In several instances, licensees informed the NRC that they did not accept material supplied by MMI under their 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix B, QA program. Because of a lack of documentation and subsupplier control, they could not trace the items. The licensees classified the material as commercial-grade and then dedicated it to safety-related service.

Licensees who have purchased safety-related equipment and replacement parts from MMI may wish to ensure that they have an adequate basis for using such equipment for safety-related applications.

This information notice requires no specific action or written response. If you have any questions about the information in this notice, please contact the technical contact listed below or the appropriate NRR project manager.

Charles E. Rossi, Director Division of Operational Events Assessment Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical Contact:

Robert L. Pettis, Jr. (301) 492-3214

Attachment:

List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices

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(NUDOCS Accession Number 9103130124)

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ATTACHMENT 1

LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED NRC INFORMATION NOTICES

Information Notice No.	Subject	Date of Issuance	Issued to
91-20	Electrical Wire Insulation Degradation Caused Failure in A Safety-Related Motor Control Center	03/19/91	All holders of OLs or CPs for nuclear power reactors.
90-43, Supp. 1	Mechanical Interference with Thermal Trip Function in GE Molded-Case Circuit Breakers	03/13/91	All holders of OLs or CPs for nuclear power reactors.
91-19	Steam Generator Feedwater Distribution Piping Damage	03/12/91	All holders of OLs or CPs for pressurized water reactors (PWRs).
91-18	High-Energy Piping Failures Caused by Wall Thinning	03/12/91	All holders of OLs or CPs for nuclear power reactors.
90-25, Supp. 1	Loss of Vital AC Power with Subsequent Reactor Coolant System Heat-Up	03/11/91	All holders of OLs or CPs for nuclear power reactors.
91-17	Fire Safety of Temporary Installations or Services	03/11/91	All holders of OLs or CPs for nuclear power reactors.
91-16	Unmonitored Release Pathways from Slightly Contaminated Recycle and Recirculation Water Systems at A Fuel Facility	03/06/91	All fuel cycle facilities
91-15	Incorrect Configuration of Breaker Operating Springs in General Electric AK- Series Metal-Clad Circuit Breakers	03/06/91	All holders of OLs or CPs for nuclear power reactors.
91-14	Recent Safety-Related Incidents at Large Irradiators	03/05/91	All Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensees authorized to possess and use sealed sources at large irradiators.

CL = Operating License
CP = Construction Permit