For nuclear power stations, safety is important!

IECQ (IEC Quality Assessment System), the IEC Quality Assessment System for Electronic Components, offers the IECQ Approved Process (AP) Scheme, which provides for the independent assessment and issuing of an international IECQ certificate of conformity for organisations that have demonstrated compliance with declared standards and/or specifications. The global nature of supply chains makes it imperative for organisations to maintain specifications accepted by their customers when supplying component parts and services that are important to nuclear safety (ITNS). This can be achieved through assessment and certification. In the case of the nuclear industry, member countries of the IECQ System agreed to integrate ISO 19443:2018 into the IECQ Approved Process (AP) Scheme. This standard is about specific requirements for the application of quality management systems by organisations in the supply chain of the nuclear energy sector supplying products and services important to nuclear safety (ITNS). It is based on the ISO 9001:2015.

For the assessment of appropriate Certification Bodies (CB) the preparation and execution of audits and certification IECQ is following the ISO Technical specification ISO/TS 23406: “Nuclear sector - requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of quality management systems for organisations supplying products and services important to nuclear safety”. For the practical implementation of this new program under the roof of IECQ a special Working Group 11 was founded. The working group developed the IECQ Operational Document (OD) 19443 that forms a bridge between the ISO documents and the IECQ-internal regulations.

In 2020, based on these documents, IECQ has approved its first Certification Body, the Certification Association Russian Register, which will be able to issue IECQ certificates for organisations complying with ISO 19443. Other Bodies are expected to extend their scopes to become able to offer this service.

“All stakeholders will benefit from a single global approach to the assessment and certification of organisations to the International Standard ISO 19443. Users of the Scheme will be able to provide this vital independent proof of compliance with ISO 19443 to supply products and services important to nuclear safety to this energy sector,” said Chris Agius, the Executive Secretary of IECQ.