The Need For An International Quality Standard

The next generation of nuclear power plants will be fabricated, constructed, and licensed in markedly different ways than the present light water fleet. Non-traditional, most likely non-domestic, vendors will supply items and components built in accordance with their host country or European Common Market quality requirements that will need to be reconciled to regulations. A common quality standard that is current with the state-of-the-art quality practices can provide the required assurance for these circumstances. This quality standard should embody the latest understanding of what it takes to achieve the quality levels that protect the health and safety of the public while allowing for the maximum use of new and innovative methods and technologies. This paper will describe why a nuclear-sector specific ISO9001 quality standard that integrates ISO9001 and NQA-1 requirements should be considered as a universal quality standard for the next generation of power plants. (authors)