§21.3. Definitions.
10 C.F.R. § 21.3
Basic component. (1)(i) When applied to nuclear power plants licensed under part 53 of this chapter, basic component means a safety-related structure, system, or component (SSC), or part thereof, and when applied to nuclear power plants licensed under part 50 or 52 of this chapter, basic component means an SSC, or part thereof, that affects its safety function necessary to assure:
Commercial grade item. (1) When applied to nuclear power plants licensed under part 50 or 53 of this chapter, commercial grade item means an SSC, or part thereof that affects its safety function, that was not designed and manufactured as a basic component. Commercial grade items do not include items where the design and manufacturing process require in-process inspections and verifications to ensure that defects or failures to comply are identified and corrected (i.e., one or more critical characteristics of the item cannot be verified).
Commission means the Nuclear Regulatory Commission or its duly authorized representatives.
Constructing or construction means the analysis, design, manufacture, fabrication, placement, erection, installation, modification, inspection, or testing of a facility or activity which is subject to the regulations in this part and consulting services related to the facility or activity that are safety related.
Critical characteristics. When applied to nuclear power plants licensed under part 50, 52, or 53 of this chapter, critical characteristics are those important design, material, and performance characteristics of a commercial grade item that, once verified, will provide reasonable assurance that the item will perform its intended safety function.
Dedicating entity. When applied to nuclear power plants licensed under part 50, 52, or 53 of this chapter, dedicating entity means the organization that performs the dedication process. Dedication may be performed by the manufacturer of the item, a third-party dedicating entity, or the licensee itself. The dedicating entity, under § 21.21(c), is responsible for identifying and evaluating deviations, reporting defects and failures to comply for the dedicated item, and maintaining auditable records of the dedication process.
Dedication. (1) When applied to nuclear power plants licensed pursuant to part 30, 40, 50, 53, or 60 of this chapter, dedication is an acceptance process undertaken to provide reasonable assurance that a commercial grade item to be used as a basic component will perform its intended safety function and, in this respect, is deemed equivalent to an item designed and manufactured under a quality assurance program under appendix B to part 50 of this chapter. This assurance is achieved by identifying the critical characteristics of the item and verifying their acceptability by inspections, tests, or analyses performed by the purchaser or third-party dedicating entity after delivery, supplemented as necessary by one or more of the following: commercial grade surveys; product inspections or witness at holdpoints at the manufacturer's facility, and analysis of historical records for acceptable performance. In all cases, the dedication process must be conducted under the applicable provisions of appendix B to part 50. The process is considered complete when the item is designated for use as a basic component.
Defect means:
Deviation means a departure from the technical requirements included in a procurement document, or specified in early site permit information, a standard design certification or standard design approval.
Director means an individual, appointed or elected according to law, who is authorized to manage and direct the affairs of a corporation, partnership or other entity. In the case of an individual proprietorship, director means the individual.
Discovery means the completion of the documentation first identifying the existence of a deviation or failure to comply potentially associated with a substantial safety hazard within the evaluation procedures discussed in § 21.21(a).
Evaluation means the process of determining whether a particular deviation could create a substantial hazard or determining whether a failure to comply is associated with a substantial safety hazard.
Notification means the telephonic communication to the NRC Operations Center or written transmittal of information to the NRC Document Control Desk.
Operating or operation means the operation of a facility or the conduct of a licensed activity which is subject to the regulations in this part and consulting services related to operations that are safety related.
Procurement document means a contract that defines the requirements which facilities or basic components must meet in order to be considered acceptable by the purchaser.
Responsible officer means the president, vice-president or other individual in the organization of a corporation, partnership, or other entity who is vested with executive authority over activities subject to this part.
Substantial safety hazard means a loss of safety function to the extent that there is a major reduction in the degree of protection provided to public health and safety for any facility or activity licensed or otherwise approved or regulated by the NRC, other than for export, under part 30, 40, 50, 52, 53, 60, 61, 63, 70, 71, or 72 of this chapter.
Supplying or supplies means contractually responsible for a basic component used or to be used in a facility or activity which is subject to the regulations in this part.
Notes, amendments, and revision history
Amendments
[42 FR 28893, June 6, 1977; 42 FR 36803, July 18, 1977, as amended at 43 FR 48622, Oct. 19, 1978; 46 FR 58283, Dec. 1, 1981; 47 FR 57480, Dec. 27, 1982; 56 FR 36089, July 31, 1991; 59 FR 5519, Feb. 7, 1994; 60 FR 48373, Sept. 19, 1995; 61 FR 65171, Dec. 11, 1996; 64 FR 72000, Dec. 23, 1999; 66 FR 55790, Nov. 2, 2001; 72 FR 49486, Aug. 28, 2007; 84 FR 63567, Nov. 18, 2019; 91 FR 15774, Mar. 30, 2026]
Authority
Authority: Atomic Energy Act of 1954, secs. 53, 63, 81, 103, 104, 161, 223, 234, 1701 (42 U.S.C. 2073, 2093, 2111, 2133, 2134, 2201, 2273, 2282, 2297f); Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, secs. 201, 206 (42 U.S.C. 5841, 5846); Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, secs. 135, 141 (42 U.S.C. 10155, 10161); 44 U.S.C. 3504 note.
Source
Source: 42 FR 28893, June 6, 1977, unless otherwise noted.
Amendments
[42 FR 28893, June 6, 1977; 42 FR 36803, July 18, 1977, as amended at 43 FR 48622, Oct. 19, 1978; 46 FR 58283, Dec. 1, 1981; 47 FR 57480, Dec. 27, 1982; 56 FR 36089, July 31, 1991; 59 FR 5519, Feb. 7, 1994; 60 FR 48373, Sept. 19, 1995; 61 FR 65171, Dec. 11, 1996; 64 FR 72000, Dec. 23, 1999; 66 FR 55790, Nov. 2, 2001; 72 FR 49486, Aug. 28, 2007; 84 FR 63567, Nov. 18, 2019; 91 FR 15774, Mar. 30, 2026]