Procurement and control of spare and replacement parts - a regulatory perspective

As the nuclear industry shifts from a construction to an operations orientation, a number of fundamental changes have occurred in the type of safety-related procurements and the manner in which the utilities accomplish these procurements. Specifically, procurements have shifted from the purchase of large systems and components by architect-engineers, and nuclear steam supply system (NSSS) suppliers to the procurement by utilities of subassemblies, individual pieces of equipment (e.g., breakers, relays), and small parts for repairing individual pieces of equipment. To ensure that equipment will continue to perform its intended function and to satisfy regulatory requirements utilities must consider several things: (1) does the equipment perform a safety function; (2) does the replacement part affect the safety function; and (3) does the replacement part affect the seismic or environmental qualification. If the answer to any of these questions is yes, the purchaser has two alternatives. He may procure the item as safety-related and require the supplier or manufacturer to comply with all the applicable technical and quality requirements or he may purchase the item commercial grade and perform the necessary inspections and tests to ensure the item meets the requirements, i.e., dedicate the item.