Having been involved in quality and process control for quite a few years now, I tend to read any article regarding a quality issue or new ideas for quality or process improvement. Last week, Washington state’s Tri-City Herald published an article by Annette Cary about tanks at a vitrification plant in Hanford failing to meet quality assurance standards. The scope of the quality assurance problem became very clear and gives an excellent example of the importance of quality assurance systems.

Vitrification is the process of turning a substance into glass or a glassy substance by heat and fusion. In this case, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is building a plant to convert radioactive waste into an easier-to-handle, glass-like substance. This is not just any radioactive treatment plant, either. When completed, it will be the world’s largest radioactive treatment facility. But before it opens, it faces quality problems.

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