Some manufacturers and suppliers use inferior materials and processes to make substandard
supplies whose properties can vary significantly from established standards and specifications.
Other suppliers distribute items that they know do not meet the purchase requirements or
provide documentation that misrepresent actual conformance to established specifications and
standards. These substandard supplies, or suspect/counterfeit items (S/CIs), pose potential
threats to the safety of workers, the public and the environment and may also have a
detrimental effect on security and operations at nuclear facilities.