ML19253B338

Final Deficiency Rept Re Welder Qualification of safety- Related Piping.Vendor Had Not Met Requirements of ASME Code for Welder Performance.All Welders to Be Qualified & Welds Found Unacceptable to Be Reworked

ML19253B338
Person / Time
Site:	Beaver Valley
Issue date:	10/09/1979
From:	DUQUESNE LIGHT CO.
To:
Shared Package
ML19253B337	List: ML19253B336 ML19253B338
References
NUDOCS 7910150298
Download: ML19253B338 (2)

Text

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FINAL REPORT ON WELDER QUALIFICATION DEFICIENCY AT BEAVER VALLEY POWER STATION - U'JIT NO. 2 I. Description of Deficiency Pipe fabrications supplied by Power Piping Company (PPCo) for use in Beaver Valley Power Station - Unit No. 2 (BVPS-2) were fabricated by personnel whose welding qualifications did not comply with ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Sections III and IX, as required by the procurement specification governing this work. This situation developed as a result of PPCo.'s f ailure to comply with the requirements of the ASME Code for welder performance qualification. Specifically, the problem is related to welder qualifications for attached bosses 2 inch and smaller nominal pipe size to larger diameter pipe, butt welding of small diameter pipe, welding machine operator quali-fication, and multi-process welder qualification. As a direct result of this nonconformance, welders performed production welding operations on 167 piping fabrications before their qualifications to perform those operations were achieved and/or documented.

The nonconformance was discovered by members of Duquesne Light Company Vendor Surveillance Group ( DLC-VS G) while performing shop inspections as required by the procurement specifications.

Nonconformance and Disposition (N&D) reports were generated and forwarded to Stone & Webster Engineering Corporation (SNE C) ,

agents for Duquesne Light Company (DLC) performing the engin-eering and construction management for BVPS-2.

SNEC completed their evaluation of the above nonconformance on September 13, 1979, and determined that a reportable defi-ciency under 10CFR50.55 (e) existed at this time. SNEC informed DLC on September 14, 1979, that the reportable deficiency exists.

Mr. R. Martin of DLC informed Mr. McGaughy of the NRC Inspection and Enforcement Division, Region I, on September 14, 1979, of this reportable deficiency.

II. Analysis of Safety Implications The affected 167 piping fabrications constitute subassemblies of piping systems regulred for safe shutdown of or accident mitigation for BVPS-2. Failure of weld joints in these systems could impair the ability of these systems to perform their safety functions.

III. Corrective Action Corrective action has been/is being performed as follows:

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1. Unqualified welders were identified and prevented from further welding pending proper qualification.

2. A comprehensive review of the applicable documentation was completed which resulted in the identification of 167 affected fabrications.

3. Of the 167 af fected fabrications, 46 are located at PPCo.'s Donora facility, and the remaining are located at the BVPS-2 site. These fabrications were placed on a quality control reject status.

4. The following disposition will be applied to the welds with deficient welder qualifications :

A. The welders / welding operators will be qualified by radiographically examining production welds in accordance with ASME IX requirements, or B. The welds will be qualified by radiographically examining the welds to the acceptance criteria of ASME III, or C. The welds will be ground out and rewelded by properly qualified welders or welding operators.

All radiographed welds found unacceptable by acceptance criteria of ASME III, Article NB-5000, will be reworked.

5. PPCo. is responsible for completing the above corrective action and estimates that the corrective action will be complete by January 17, 1980.

IV. Supelemental Information The above-described deficiency was reported by PPCo. to the NRC as a failure to comply under 10CFR21. The failure to comply was initially reported to Mr. R. McCoy of the NRC Inspection and Enforcement Division Region I, by Mr. H. Ray Good, Director, Corporate Quality Assurance for PPCo., by telephone on September 14, 1979. A written report was trans-mitted to the District Director, U.S . Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Region I by Mr. W. R. Patterson, Executive Vice President, PPCo., on September 19, 1979. In this report, PPCo. indicated that the failure to comply affected only BVPS-2.

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