SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 January 2001
STP13661S

Accreditation and Certification in Radioactivity Measurement: Experience of the CEA/Reactor Dosimetry Laboratory

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The Reactor Dosimetry Laboratory is involved in the French PWR pressure vessel surveillance program. It realizes the activity measurement of the dosimeters irradiated inside the surveillance capsules and it makes the data process to determine parameters such as flux and fluences.

In 1996, The Reactor Dosimetry Laboratory obtained the ISO 9002 certification and the French Committee for Accreditation (COFRAC)/Testing Section accreditation (according to EN 45001 standard) for the gamma spectrometry measurement of the radioactivity of solid samples irradiated in nuclear reactors, extended in 1997 to the X-ray spectrometry measurement of niobium activity.

The initial objective of the lab was the preservation of know-how that dates back 25 years; that is why COFRAC accreditation was chosen: it takes into account quality and technical evaluation. Thus, the description of our process is based upon ASTM standards.

In addition, as ISO 9002 is an international standard, well-known abroad, the certification was also sought. Our lab was one of the first in France to obtain both certification and accreditation.

The paper deals with ways and means of obtaining these two quality certificates: • organizational structure through which this project was performed; • quality system — the whole process is described through quality documents and records; • metrology requirements — operations which ensure that measuring equipment is usable and has the required performance (calibration, traceability against national standards, proficiency testing …). • other quality aspects — nonconformity, corrective actions, management review. The conclusion emphasizes on the feedback of this approach.

Author Information

Royer, JC
CEA/DRN/DER/SPEx/LPE, CEA/Cadarache, Saint Paul lez Durance, France
Beretz, D
CEA/DRN/DER/SPEx/LPE, CEA/Cadarache, Saint Paul lez Durance, France
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Details
Developed by Committee: E10
Pages: 714–720
DOI: 10.1520/STP13661S
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-5450-6
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-2884-2