The IEC SC 45A series of standards includes a general description in the Introduction, item d) of each part, outlining the overall structure of the series and its relationship with other standards bodies and standards (e.g. specific IAEA safety guides and IEC 61508).
This document is intended to augment that description to enable users of individual IEC SC 45A International Standards to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the overall structure of the series and its relationship with other standards bodies and standards.
5 IEC SC 45A scope5.1 Technical scope
An abridged version of the IEC SC 45A technical scope is as follows.
To prepare standards applicable to the electronic and electrical functions and associated systems and equipment used in nuclear energy generation facilities (nuclear power plants, fuel handling and processing plants, interim and final repositories for spent fuel and nuclear waste) to improve the efficiency, safety and security of nuclear energy generation.
The standards cover the entire lifecycle of these instrumentation, control and electrical power systems, from conception, through design, manufacture, test, installation, commissioning, operation, maintenance, ageing management, modernization and decommissioning.
Refer to the IEC website for the IEC SC 45A full technical scope statement. The following two links can be used to obtain information relating to IEC SC 45A and the list of IEC TCs / SCs, respectively:
https://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:7:::::FSP_ORG_ID:1358
https://www.iec.ch/technical-committees-and-subcommittees#tclist
NOTE For more information about IEC management and activities, see: https://www.iec.ch/homepage.
5.2 Relationship with other standards bodies
5.3 Criteria for development of SC 45A standards
Generic international standards (e.g. IEC, ISO) have been developed for most types of systems, equipment and methods that are required by industry.
When there is a generic standard for a topic which cannot be used directly or which needs adaptation for the nuclear sector, guidelines are developed for its use or "nuclear equivalent" standards are developed.
In such cases, the IEC SC 45A "application" guidelines and "nuclear equivalent" standards make reference to, and adhere as closely as possible to, the generic international standard.
5.4 IEC SC 45A terminology policy
The IEC SC 45A terminology policy has the following three broad objectives:
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to use the IAEA safety and security terminology in the development of the IEC SC 45A standards and any dual logo IEC/IEEE standards;
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where this is not possible, to use applicable IEV definitions for generic terms in the electrotechnical domain and applicable ISO definitions for generic terms in other domains;
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where the above are not applicable, to develop new definitions.
Links to the IEC Electropedia and ISO Online browsing platform have already been provided in Clause 3, and the IAEA nuclear safety and security glossary can be found at:
https://doi.org/10.61092/iaea.rrxi-t56z
NOTE 1 IEC and ISO terms are developed separately for each TC and SC and so there can be multiple definitions for any given term.
Where the definition of a term in the IAEA Nuclear Safety and Security Glossary (see B.2.1) is judged fully satisfactory, it is included directly into the IEC SC 45A relevant standard.
If an IAEA definition of a term is judged not fully satisfactory for direct use in an IEC SC 45A standard, the original IAEA definition is integrated and a note is added to give precision or introduce some nuance.
If an IAEA definition of a term cannot be used in a specific IEC SC 45A standard, a definition is developed for inclusion in the standard and a note is added indicating that the definition is different from the IAEA one and explaining the reason for the discrepancy.
NOTE 2 Where it is judged not possible to use an IAEA definition, a suitably justified proposal is made to the IAEA to evolve their definition so that it can be used in the IEC SC 45A standards series in the future.
8 Standards corresponding to the SC 45A scope8.1 Standards related to the SC 45A full scope
Annex A includes the following in numerical order:
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the current set of published IEC SC 45A standards (at L1 – L3) and TRs (at L4);
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draft IEC SC 45A documents (standards and TRs) that have been approved for development and are listed in the SC 45A "projects" section of the IEC website;
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IEC SC 45B radiation monitoring standards that are of specific interest to IEC SC 45A topic area 24.
For the IEC SC 45A documents, the following information is given:
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edition and year of publication;
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the level within the hierarchy (i.e. L1, L2, L3 or L4);
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the broad topic area to which it is assigned (e.g. "topic 01").
8.2 Non-SC 45A documents of particular relevance to the SC 45A scope
Annex B includes the following:
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the main set of IAEA documents with which the IEC SC 45A standards series seek conformance;
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various non-IEC SC 45A standards (e.g. other IEC, ISO and IEEE standards, etc.) that are normatively referenced from the IEC SC 45A L1 and L2 standards;
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a few other non-IEC SC 45A publications that are considered of general interest to the SC 45A scope.
NOTE The material included in Annex B is considered indicative rather than exhaustive.
8.3 Standards related to SC 45A specific topics
Annex C includes the same set of published and draft IEC SC 45A standards, and published IEC SC 45B standards, that are included in Annex A.
Annex A is subdivided into the 12 broad topic areas (see 6.4) and arranged by level within each topic area. In addition, those documents in Annex B that are of particular relevance and/or general interest to each topic area are identified within that part of the annex along with other documents that are only mentioned in Annex C.
For each IEC SC 45A document, the following information is given:
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its identifier;
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its edition and year of publication;
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its level within the hierarchy;
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where applicable, notes regarding its status (e.g. under revision);
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its title (in full).
In terms of the coverage provided by each IEC SC 45A document, a definitive description can be found by following the link to the IEC Webstore (see below), selecting the document of interest (by clicking on its identifier), and then using the "Look Inside" box to view its Table of Contents, Foreword, Introduction, Scope, and Normative references:
https://www.iec.ch/dyn/www/f?p=103:22:13686702654598::::FSP_ORG_ID,FSP_LANG_ID:1358,25;
This information has been used in Annex C to derive the coverage in terms of:
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NPPs and/or other nuclear facilities;
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I&C systems and equipment and/or electrical power systems and equipment;
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new plants and/or modernisation projects;
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systems aspects, equipment aspects and/or methods;
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specific stages of the overall system lifecycle.
Where the description in the IEC Webstore does not specifically address one or more of these aspects, a judgement has been made on whether such coverage is intended.
