10 CFR 50, Appendix B, Criterion II requires, in part, that the licensee shall establish a quality assurance program and the program shall be documented by written policies, procedures and instructions and be carried out in accordance with those policies, procedures and instructions. Nuclear Quality Assurance Plan, TVA-NQA-PLN89-A, revision 18, dated November 30, 2007, section 10.2.5,
QA Trending, specifies that trend analysis shall be performed on adverse conditions and quality indicators associated with
QA verification activities and trend results shall be used to identify adverse trends that need increased management attention. Contrary to this, quality assurance policies and procedures were not carried out, in that, during a special review, the licensee documented in PER 152810 an adverse trend associated problems with
General Electric type AK-2A-15 and AK-2A-25 circuit breakers trip units. Although 15 PERs had been issued in 15 months for trip unit problems, the licensees normal trending program had failed to detect this adverse trend. This issue was of very low safety significance, in that, licensees evaluations determined that due to various mitigating circumstances, i.e., a redundant breaker maintained the safety function, that the safety function was not lost
