The Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority authorises inspection organisations (IOs) to inspect pressure equipment, other mechanical equipment as well as steel and concrete structures for nuclear facilities.

The approval requirements are given in the STUK Guide YVL E.1 Authorised inspection body and the licensee’s in-house inspection organisation. The requirements apply, among other things, to the operation and organisational structure, resources and competence, approval procedure and reporting obligations of IOs as well as to STUK’s oversight procedures.

Guide YVL E.1 contains detailed instructions for the submission of an application to act as an IO for nuclear power plants under construction and in operation.

Accreditation is a prerequisite for approval

An approval from STUK requires that an IO first acquires from the domestic accreditation body (In Finland: FINAS, the Finnish Accreditation Service) accreditation demonstrating qualification. An accreditation’s approval is based on the standard SFS-EN ISO/IEC 17020:2012, the technical standards applicable to inspection as well as those of STUK's YVL guides that set requirements for inspections that fall within the scope planned for the IOs. After accreditation is granted, the IOs apply for approval, i.e. authorisation, from STUK.

STUK-approved IOs

STUK has approved the following IOs to act as Authorised Inspection Organisations (AIO). They conduct tasks relating to the conformity assessment and approval of the design and manufacturing of  mechanical components and structures for the plant units referred to in the Table. The IOs are authorised  to inspect components and structures in the safety classes mentioned in the Table. With new approvals, the Table will be updated.

STUK oversees IOs

Operation of STUK-approved IOs is subject to STUK’s monitoring and oversight in accordance with the periodical inspection programmefor IOs. IOs regularly report their operation to STUK.