SSC risk significance in risk-informed, performance-based licensing of non-LWRs

The main criteria used in NEI 18–04 to define SSCs as risk-significant include (1) the SSC is required to keep all LBEs within the F–C target, and (2) the total frequency with the SSC failed exceeds 1% of the limit for at least one of the three cumulative risk metrics used for evaluating the integrated plant risk. The first one is a reasonable criterion in determining the risk significant SSCs. However, the second criterion may not be adequate to serve the purpose of determining the risk significance of SSCs. In the second criterion, the cumulative risk metric values representing the integrated plant risk (less the preventive and mitigative effects of the SSC being evaluated) are compared to a risk limit that represents a very small contribution to the overall integrated plant risk, which corresponds appropriately to the contributions from individual SSCs. The easiest approach to redefine the NEI 18-04 definition of risk-significant SSCs in relation to the integrated plant risk metrics is to compare the difference, between the risk metric value calculated with the SSC failed and the risk metric value calculated with the SSC credited, with 1% of the risk limit established for the integrated plant risk metrics.