Quality management initiatives at Carolina Power and Light Company

At Carolina Power and Light Company nuclear quality assurance functions are performed including quality control of site work processes, surveillance of site activities, corporate auditing and quality assurance engineering. In addition, an independent section performs technical evaluations, field observation activities, and safety system assessments. In 1989, the Company's management chartered a team of experienced nuclear managers to help identify opportunities and specific means to improve the Company's self-assessment processes. The team also visited or surveyed approximately 20 other utilities, INPO, NRC's Regional and Central headquarters in order to identify the best practices in the U.S. nuclear industry to self-assessment. The major conclusions drawn by the Company from this review activity are presented. As a result, a number of specific changes have been implemented at the Company, both organizationally and functionally, e.g. the Corporate Quality Assurance audit programme was refocused to introduce performance-based techniques and philosophy. Some of the changes are briefly described. (Z.S.)