From June 20 – 23, 2016, AdSTM, Inc. staff conducted an IRDP workshop on Construction and Vendor Inspection at the offices of the National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control (CNCAN) in Bucharest, Romania. The audience was composed of CNCAN regulators, university students who are interns at CNCAN, Cernavoda Unit 1 and 2 licensee staff, staff from the Cernavoda Unit 3 and 4 project company, and staff from the Centre of Technology and Engineering for Nuclear Projects. Over the four-day workshop, AdSTM staff, Mel Fields and Bob Gramm, provided instruction and exercises that focused on nuclear quality assurance, construction inspection program attributes, regulatory enforcement, vendor inspection protocols, defect reporting for vendors, and training and qualification for regulatory personnel.
The workshop covered attributes that lead to effective inspections (e.g., qualified inspectors and adequate inspection procedures); and how to develop inspection programs for both Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) construction as well as regulatory oversight of vendors providing equipment and services for use in the nuclear power plant. Throughout the workshop, the instructors provided illustrative examples from Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) inspection related documents. The course was intended to provide both Romanian regulators and licensee staff with an overview of the NRC approach to verify that NPP construction complies with regulatory requirements and licensing commitments. Participation during the workshop was exceptional and energetic, which included participants sharing valuable insights and comments from their diverse perspectives, both as a regulator and as a licensee. The participants provided high marks on the quality and practical usefulness of the workshop.