scope:

The ASME Committee on Operation and Maintenance of Nuclear Power Plants meets regularly to conduct standards development business. This includes consideration of written requests for interpretations, Code Cases, and revisions to Operation and Maintenance Code and development of new requirements as dictated by technological development. This supplement provides guidance to Code users for submitting technical inquiries to the Committee. Technical inquiries include requests for revisions or additions to the Code requirements, requests for Code Cases, and requests for Code interpretations.

Code Cases may be issued by the Committee when the need is urgent. Code Cases clarify the intent of existing Code requirements or provide alternative requirements. Code Cases are written as a question and a reply and are usually intended to be incorporated into the Code at a later date. Code interpretations provide the meaning of or the intent of existing requirements in the Code and are also presented as a question and reply. Both Code Cases and Code interpretations are published by the Committee.

The Code requirements, Code Cases, and Code interpretations established by the Committee are not to be considered as approving, recommending, certifying, or endorsing any proprietary or specific design or as limiting in any way the freedom of manufacturers or constructors to choose any method of design or any form of construction that conforms to the Code requirements.

Moreover, ASME does not act as a consultant on specific engineering problems or on the general application or understanding of the Code requirements. If, based on the inquiry information submitted, it is the opinion of the Committee that the inquirer should seek assistance, the inquiry will be returned with the recommendation that such assistance be obtained.

As an alternate to the requirements of this Supplement, members of the Committee and its subcommittees, subgroups, and working groups may introduce requests for Code revisions or additions, Code Cases, and Code interpretations at their respective Committee meetings or may submit such requests to the secretary of a subcommittee, subgroup, or working group.

All inquiries that do not provide the information needed for the Committee's full understanding will be returned.