U.S.NUCLEARREGULATORYCOMMISSIONREGULATORYRevisIon2Revision2March1997GUIDEOFFICEOFNUCLEARREGULATORYRESEARCHREGULATORYGUIDE1.160(DraftwasDG-1051)MONITORINGTHEEFFECTIVENESSOFMAINTENANCEATNUCLEARPOWERPLANTSA.INTRODUCTIONTheNRCpublishedthemaintenanceruleonJuly10,1991,asSection50.65,RequirementsforMonitoringtheEffectivenessofMaintenanceatNuclearPowerPlants,of10CFRPart50,DomesticLicensingofProductionandUtilizationFacilities.TheNRC'sdeterminationthatamaintenancerulewasneededarosefromtheconclusionthatpropermaintenanceisessentialtoplantsafety.Asdiscussedintheregulatoryanalysisforthisrule,1thereisaclearlinkbetweeneffectivemaintenanceandsafetyasitrelatestosuchfactorsasthenumberoftransientsandchallengestosafetysystemsandtheassociatedneedforoperability,availability,andreliabilityofsafetyequipment.Inaddition,goodmaintenanceisalsoimportantinprovidingassurancethatfailuresofotherthansafety-relatedstructures,systems,andcomponents(SSCs)thatcouldinitiateoradverselyaffectatransientoraccidentareminimized.MinimizingchallengestosafetysystemsisINRCMemorandumtoAllCommissionersfromJ.TayloronMaintenanceRulemaking,June27,1991.CopiesareavailableforinspectionorcopyingforafeefromtheNRCPublicDocumentRoomat2120LStreet,NW.,Washington,DC;thePDR'smailingaddressisMailStopLL-6,Washington,DC20555;phone(202)634-3273;fax(202)634-3343.consistentwiththeNRC'sdefense-in-depthphilosophy.Maintenanceisalsoimportanttoensurethatdesignassumptionsandmarginsintheoriginaldesignba7sisaremaintainedandarenotunacceptablydegraded.Therefore,nuclearpowerplantmaintenanceisclearlyimportantinprotectingpublichealthandsafety,Paragraph(a)(1)of10CFR50.65requiresthatpowerreactorlicenseesmonitortheperformanceorconditionofSSCsagainstlicensee-establishedgoalsinamannersufficienttoprovidereasonableassurancethatsuchSSCsarecapableoffulfillingtheirintendedfunctions.Suchgoalsaretobeestablishedcommensuratewithsafetyand,wherepractical,takeintoaccountindustry-wideoperatingexperience.WhentheperformanceorconditionofanSSCdoesnotmeetestablishedgoals,appropriatecorrectiveactionmustbetaken.Foranuclearpowerplantforwhichthelicenseehassubmittedthecertificationsspecifiedin10CFR50.82(a)(1)(i.e.,plantsundergoingdecommissioning),Paragraph(a)(1)of10CFR50.65appliesonlytotheextentthatthelicenseemustmonitortheperformanceorconditionofallSSCsassociatedwithstoring,controlling,andmaintainingspentfuelinasafecondition,inamannersufficienttoprovidereasonableassuranceUSNRCREGULATORYGUIDESTheguideswreissuedinthefollowingtenbroaddivisions:RegulatoryGuidesareIssuedtodescribeandmakeavailabletothepublicsuchInformetnasmethodsacceptabletotheNRCstaffforImplementingspecificpartsoftheCom-1.PowerReactors6.Productsmissionsregulatons,techniquesLedbythestaffinevaluatingspecificproblemaorpo-2.Researc,andTestReactors7.Transportationtuiatedaccidents,anddataneededbytheNRCstaffInItsreviewofapplicationsforpe-IFuelssrdMaterialsFacilities8.OccupationalHealthmitsandlcenses.Regulatoryguidesarenotsubstitutesforregulations,aidcompliance4,EnvlronmntandSiting9.AndtiatnFinancialReviewwiththemisnotrequired.Methodsendsolutionsdifferentfromtmoaesetoutmntguides5.MaterielsandPRantProtection10.GeneralwitlbeacceptableIftheyprovideabasisfortefindingsrequisitetofteIssuanceorcontinuanceofapermitorcensebytheCommission.SinglecopiesofreglatorygidesumaybeobtainedtreeofchargebywritingtheOficeofThisguidewasIssuedafterconsiderationofcommentsreceivedfromthepublic.ComrAdministration,Attention:DistnibutionandMaliServicesSection,U.S.NuclearRegulatorymentsendaggestionsforImprovementsInthesegulidesaeencouragedatalltimes,endCommission,Washington,PC20555-0001;orbyfaxat(301)415-2260.guideswillberevised,asappropriate,toaccommodatecommentsndtoreflectnewInformationorexe.IssuedguidesmayalsobepurchasedfromtheNationalTechnicalInformationServiceonWrittencommentsmaybesubmittedtotheRuiesReviewendDirectivesBranch.DFIPS,astandingorderbasis.DetailsonthisservicemaybeobtainedbywritingNTIS,5285PortADM,U.S.NuclearRegulatoryCommission,Washington,DC20555-0001.RoyalRoad,Springfield,VA22161.thatsuchSSCsarecapableoffulfillingtheirintendedfunctions.2Paragraph(aX2)of10CFR50.65statesthatmonitoringasspecifiedinParagraph(aX1)isnotrequiredwhereithasbeendemonstratedthattheperformanceorconditionofanSSCisbeingeffectivelycontrolledthroughtheperformanceofappropriatepreventivemaintenance,suchthattheSSCremainscapableofperformingitsintendedfunction.Paragraph(a)(3)of10CFR50.65requiresthatperformanceandconditionmonitoringactivitiesandassociatedgoalsandpreventivemaintenanceactivitiesbeevaluatedatleasteveryrefuelingcycleprovidedtheintervalbetweenevaluationsdoesnotexceed24months.Theevaluationsmustbeconductedtakingintoaccount,wherepractical,industry-wideoperatingexperience.AdjustmentsmustbemadewherenecessarytoensurethattheobjectiveofpreventingfailuresofSSCsthroughmaintenanceisappropriatelybalancedagainsttheobjectiveofminimizingunavailabilityofSSCsbecauseofmonitoringorpreventivemaintenance.Inperformingmonitoringandpreventivemaintenanceactivities,anassessmentofthetotalplantequipmentthatisoutofserviceshouldb