The manufacturers and users of Class 1E motor control centers are required to provide assurance that such equipment will meet or exceed its specific performance requirements throughout its installed life. This is accomplished through a quality assurance program that includes, but is not limited to, design, qualification, production quality control, installation, maintenance, and periodic testing. This document treats only the qualification portion of the program. The purpose of the qualification program is to provide assurance, by demonstration, that the motor control center is capable of performing its required Class 1E functions before, during, and after the postulated design basis events specified for that equipment. Qualification may be accomplished by testing, analysis, previous operating experience, or a combination thereof. This standard provides qualification procedures for both testing and analysis. Ongoing qualification may be used to extend the qualified life of equipment that has been previously qualified by other means.

This standard describes the basic principles, requirements, and methods for qualifying Class 1E motor control centers for outside containment applications in nuclear power generating stations. Qualification of motor control centers located inside containment in a nuclear power generating station is beyond the scope of this standard.

The purpose of this standard is: (1) To define specific qualification requirements for Class 1E motor control centers in accordance with the more general qualification requirements of IEEE Std 323-1974, IEEE Standard for Qualifying Class 1E Equipment for Nuclear Power Generating Stations. (2) To provide guidance in establishing a qualification program for demonstrating the design adequacy of Class 1E motor control centers in nuclear power generating station applications.