The regulations are strict but not written in a very detailed manner. It was therefore necessary to interpret the regulations in order to make them user friendly. This was done jointly together with the other Swedish plant owners. The work has resulted in a number of detailed specifications.

The parties involved in the qualification process are the licensees (plant owners), the qualification body, the inspection bodies and none destructive testing laboratories. The qualification body has to be accredited by the Swedish Nuclear Inspectorate. Inspection bodies and laboratories have to be accredited by the Swedish Board for Technical Accreditation (SWEDAC). Foreign laboratories must be accredited by SWEDAC in the same way as Swedish laboratories.

There are different areas of responsibilities and tasks, which must be fulfilled, in order to get the inspection work done properly. This paper summarises Ringhals experiences so far. Experiences from different areas, such as the collaboration between the different parties involved, the qualification process including the use of technical justification, the close relation and importance of fracture mechanics calculations, test block manufacturing, planning and practical problems, are described.