2014 Non-Licensee Actions

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Chicago Bridge & Iron (EA-13-196)

On September 25, 2014, the NRC issued a Confirmatory Order (CO) to the Chicago Bridge and Iron Company (CB&I) to confirm commitments reached as part of an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mediation settlement agreement between CB&I and the NRC. An investigation completed by the NRC Office of Investigations (OI) on August 7, 2013, concluded that three employees at the Shaw Modular Solutions (SMS) Lake Charles, LA, fabrication facility (now owned and operated by CB&I) deliberately subverted SMS welder qualifications requirements when: (1) a welder took welding qualifications tests for another coworker; (2) the coworker allowed the welder to take the qualifications tests on his behalf; and (3) the weld test administrator certified that the coworker passed his welder qualifications tests when he knew that the tests were performed by another person. The actions on the part of the three SMS employees caused the company to be in violation of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 52.4, "Deliberate misconduct." Through mediation, CB&I agreed to take several measures to enhance the understanding of NRC requirements and the significance of willful violations for all company employees, including contractors and subcontractors, at all CB&I locations where NRC-regulated activities are performed. These measures build upon a previously-issued CO and include improving quality control and processing for welding products; enhancing new employee training to highlight the errors behind the recent violations; and enhancing CB&I's nuclear safety culture monitoring program based on lessons from the recent violations.