By Editors of Power Engineering
An international team of inspectors found evidence of forged paperwork at Areva’s Creusot Forge, as well as other violations.
The regulators discovered an employee “amending a manufacturing record in an uncontrolled manner” as recently as September 2016, two years after forgery problems were originally discovered, the Guardian reported. Areva’s on-site quality control, a third-party and inspectors from EDF did not discover the changes.
Additionally, correctional fluid, which is banned at the site, was used at the forge’s operational control room. The inspectors also determined the safety culture fell short of expectations.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission identified a number of U.S. nuclear reactors that used parts from the forge, though the agency noted the falsification of documents doesn’t pose any safety concerns.
French regulator ASN said Areva discovered evidence of irregularities in 400 components produced at Le Creusot since 1965.
