NRC Clarifies Position on Evaluating Heavy Load Lifts at Nuclear Plants
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has notified U.S. nuclear power plants of the agency's position on analyzing crane operations involving very large loads, such as reactor vessel heads. The NRC's Regulatory Issue Summary (RIS) 2008-08 explains the staff’s evaluation of heavy-load guidelines the nuclear industry developed in 2008. The evaluation includes clarifications and conditions the staff finds necessary for appropriately implementing the industry guidance.
Nuclear power plant operators must regularly use cranes to lift and maneuver objects weighing dozens of tons in the course of reactor maintenance and spent fuel management. The nuclear industry established the guidelines to provide a more consistent approach for safe handling of heavy loads at nuclear power plants, the NRC stated.
The RIS is available through the NRC’s electronic documents database, ADAMS, by entering ML082460291 in the ADAMS search engine at http://adamswebsearch.nrc.gov/dologin.htm.