Quality Inspection

QUALITY INSPECTION

All contracts issued by NAVSUP WSS Nuclear Directorate will include FAR Clause 52.246-2 which requires suppliers to maintain a quality system acceptable to the government, and allows the DCMA NSEO QAR access to the contractor’s facility for the purpose of inspection and product verification, commonly referred to as Government Source Inspection (GSI). When significant processes are sub-contracted to other facilities, GSI may need to be included in purchase orders or service agreements to permit government oversight and/or inspection at the sub-contractor facility. As a minimum, a quality system acceptable to the government for NAVSUP WSS Nuclear Directorate contracts includes documented procedures for product verification, including calibration records for inspection equipment and records associated with product verification, documented review of sub-tier supplier capability and a documented process for managing non-conforming material. NAVSUP WSS will request DCMA conduct a pre-award survey to verify quality system acceptability.

Depending on the specific application of nuclear material, higher level contract quality requirements may be invoked. The following may apply:

International Organization for Standardization -- ISO 9000 Quality Management Series

ISO standards outlines principals and guidance for implementing a quality system which assures products consistently meet customer requirements. When a higher level contract quality requirement is invoked, NAVSUP WSS contracts will include Supplemental Technical Requirements (STR) which augments the ISO standards by adding additional requirements which must be observed for our orders. Certification to ISO standards by a third party is not required for NAVSUP WSS contracts. Companies who do not have manuals consistent with ISO principals may elect to follow MIL-I-45208 or MIL-Q-9858.

• MIL-I-45208 - This military specification, though canceled, establishes requirements for the inspection system and tests used to substantiate product conformance. Like ISO, it outlines requirements for documentation, records and process controls with the intent of ensuring product meets customer requirements.
• ISR-1 - This document supplements MIL-I-45208 by adding additional requirements for the qualification of inspection and test personnel, inspection system audits, Identity of records and recorded characteristics.
• MIL-Q-9858 - This military specification requires the establishment of a quality program to assure adequate quality throughout all areas of contract performance such as design, development, fabrication, processing, assembly, inspection, test maintenance, packaging, shipping, storage and site installation.
• QRC-82 - This document supplements MIL-Q-9858 by adding additional requirements for the qualification of inspection and test personnel, inspection system audits, Identity of records and recorded characteristics.
• IQE-1 - Integrated Quality Engineering Specification establishes specific requirements for Naval Nuclear products, including control of critical product characteristics throughout the planning and manufacture of the product.
• MIL-DTL-45662 - This military specification outlines the requirements for maintaining a calibration system to monitor the equipment utilized for product inspection. Typically companies have the option to follow ISO 10012.

Additional Resources

• Report of Test and Inspection (ROTI)
• Product Quality Deficiency Reports (PQDR)