ASN Report 2015

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4.2 Monitoring all the stages
in the life of a package
and its shipment conditions
ASN performs inspections at all stages in the life of a
package, from manufacture and maintenance through
to package preparation, carriage and reception.
In2015, ASNcarriedout 98 radioactive substance transport
inspections (all sectors considered).
4.2.1 Package manufacturing inspections
The manufacture of transport packaging is subject to
the regulations applicable to the transport of radioactive
substances. In accordancewith the regulatory requirements,
eachmanufacturer of an approved package model must
be able to provide ASN with all information needed to
demonstrate the conformity of the manufacture of the
packaging with the packagemodel specifications. These
specifications are defined in the safety file specific to
each packaging, which contains the safety case for the
packagemodel. The safety file also sets packaging design
goals. It contains everything relating to the prescriptions
concerning the packaging and its content and to the tests
required for the package model’s safety case.
The role of ASN is to check that the manufacturing
specifications and the inspection procedures match
up to the design requirements defined in the safety file
and that they are correctly implemented.
The quality assurance system is applied and conformity
with the safety file specifications is ensured in all the
operations fromprocurement through to final inspection.
In 2015, ASN inspected the manufacture of forged parts
for the first TNG3 packaging (package model currently
being approved for the transport of spent fuels from
NPPs) and the end of manufacturing tightness checks
on the Manon overpack (package model approved for
transport of sources). ASN also inspected the organisation
set up for the manufacture of TN Gemini packagings,
designed for the transport of alpha emitting operating
waste, and that set up for the manufacture of the R73
and R75 packagings (package models approved for the
transport of decommissioning waste and the transport
of fuel rod cluster guides respectively).
The follow-up letters to these inspections are available
on .
During these inspections, ASN checks the quality
assurance procedures implemented for the production
of a package on the basis of the design data, and ensures
that the inspections and any manufacturing deviations
are traceable.
It also visits themanufacturing shops to check the package
component storage conditions and the conformity of the
various manufacturing operations (welding, assembly,
etc.).
When subcontractors are used, ASN checks the
monitoring of manufacturing by the manufacturer in
charge and intervenes directly on the manufacturing
sites, which are sometimes located in other countries.
The manufacturing inspections on the TN G3 forged
parts thus took place in Italy.
In parallel with these packagemanufacturing inspections,
ASN inspects the manufacture of the specimens used for
the regulatory drop tests and fire tests. The objectives
are the same as for the series productionmodel, because
the specimens must be representative and comply with
the maximum requirements indicated in the mock-up
manufacturing file, which will determine the minimum
characteristics of the actual packaging to bemanufactured.
4.2.2 Packaging maintenance inspections
The consignor or user of a packaging filled with
radioactive substances must be able to prove to ASN that
this packaging is periodically inspected and, if necessary,
repaired and maintained in good condition such that it
continues to satisfy all the relevant requirements and
specifications of its safety file and its approval certificate, ASN manufacturing inspection on the CN2700 packaging in 2014.
358 CHAPTER 11: TRANSPORT OF RADIOACTIVE SUBSTANCES
ASN report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2015