Quality Control System Requirements
Purpose and content of the QC manual
The QC system is the documented set of controls that ensures every repair or alteration meets NBIC and the R program. The manual must describe scope and organization; authority of management and the AI; design control; material control including identification and traceability; welding (WPS/PQR and welder qualification); NDE; calibration of test equipment; inspection hold points; nonconformance and corrective action; records; internal audits; and training.
Key controls
- Calibration: gauges, meters, and test equipment used for pressure tests and NDE must be calibrated at defined intervals with traceability.
- Document control: manual revisions must be reviewed and approved; significant changes require NBBI notification.
- Internal audits: scheduled audits verify that practice matches the manual, and findings drive corrective action.
- Records: repair records, R-1 copies, WPS/PQR, welder qualifications, NDE reports, and calibration records are retained per NBIC.
Worked example
During a hydro test, an operator uses a gauge whose calibration sticker expired two weeks earlier. The QC manual requires current calibration for test equipment, so the AI rejects the test. The organization recalibrates, repeats the hydro with a calibrated gauge, and documents the nonconformance and corrective action. The lesson: the calibration clause is a real hold point, not paperwork.
Traps
- Writing a manual that describes an ideal shop rather than the actual one.
- Missing calibration records or traceability.
- No management review or internal audit records.
- Failing to control subcontractors such as NDE and heat treatment through the QC system.