The public is constantly reminded of the serious consequences of accidents or failures in nuclear plants. Charged with responsibility for protecting the public health and safety, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) has the objective of providing leadership in giving the world the benefits of nuclear energy in a manner that affords greatest assurance of safety and reliability. There is no better way to assure safety and reliability in nuclear energy plants than to place major, unremitting emphasis on quality assurance in every aspect of the business.
Today's advanced technology has been proven in many tests to be capable of achieving the standards of quality and performance required for nuclear plants. Clearly, the success of nuclear ventures depends strongly upon applying the technology properly and with good quality workmanship so that the first time, or the nth time, the equipment is used it will operate as it is intended to operate — with no leaks, no losses, no radiation exposures — in short, no hazards to health, safety, or national security.
Quality assurance (QA) is a planned program of actions involving every level of management and covering every aspect of nuclear operations to guarantee that facilities and equipment are designed and built to work right and are operated in the manner intended. The assurance of quality comes from providing a system of controls to assure that every step is performed correctly and that records are kept to prove it. The quality assurance records must be complete and must be kept in a form and condition suitable for auditing. The essence of quality assurance, then, is action — working carefully to be sure that things are right.