The emergence and growth of interest related to a new generation of nuclear reactors presents new opportunities for organisations to enter the nuclear supply chain that comprises multiple organisations delivering a wide range of items important to nuclear safety (ITNS). ISO 19443:2018 establishes a framework of requirements for a quality management system, that when effectively implemented, will provide confidence as to the consistency and integrity of ITNS.

Accreditation of ISO 19443:2018 certification delivery applies the principles of ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015 which is supplemented by PD ISO/TS 23406:2020 Nuclear sector — Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of quality management systems for organizations supplying products and services important to nuclear safety (ITNS).

PD ISO/TS 23406:2020 Table A.2 provides a breakdown of typical technological sector(s) to which certification can be applied. In developing its approach to scoping the technical fields to which accreditation would be offered UKAS compared each technological sector of Table A2 with the existing quality management sectors/activities breakdown published in IAF ID1 IAF Informative Document for QMS and EMS Scopes of Accreditation. This review concluded the typical technological sectors presented in Table A.2 could be defined by reference to a combination of related and applicable scope codes from IAF ID1 and Table 1 below, illustrates the details that were created to identify the range of scope that UKAS will recognise for accreditation.

UKAS schedules of accreditation identify both the PD ISO/TS 23406:2020 technological sector and the associated IAF ID 1 QMS Accreditation Scope code, however it is not mandated that competence in all the related IAF ID 1 codes must be demonstrated to achieve accreditation for the technological sector.   

For example: If a CAB is accredited under ISO/IEC17021-1: 2015 to deliver ISO 9001: 2015 quality management system certification for the scope for “Mining and quarrying, IAF Code 02” and wanted to extend this for the ISO 19443 nuclear supply chain then an equivalent accreditation scope taking into consideration PD ISO/TS 23406:2020 could be defined as “Construction / Civil works” limited to “IAF 02”.  Refer to Table 2 below.