Audit of Long Term Equipment Reliability Risk

Due to the importance of reliable nuclear production at TVA, the OIG audited the risk of long term equipment reliability in the Nuclear Power Group (NPG). Our objectives were to assess whether risk mitigation plans and actions were established and properly designed to achieve the desired results and operating as intended, as well as identify opportunities to improve mitigation strategies for reducing long term equipment reliability risk in NPG. Our audit determined the mitigation plans identified were adequately designed to address this risk. However, the extent to which the mitigating actions were effectively reducing the risk could not be determined because of how the actions were prioritized. The audit also identified opportunities to enhance risk mitigation strategy and documentation, but we were unable to determine whether NPG had established an upper limit for the long term equipment reliability risk NPG was willing to accept. In response to our draft report, NPG management believed they had demonstrated appropriate action to address the findings and three recommendations in the report. NPG management agreed to review the long term equipment reliability risk map during upcoming quarterly reviews to determine if the associated enterprise risk could be further reduced or it should be removed from the risk map altogether. The OIG agreed with plans to reassess this risk. Summary Only