IEEE 379-1972

379-1972 is a superseded technical standard focused on failure criteria for nuclear power generating station protection systems. It addresses how protective functions should be evaluated when considering components, circuits, devices, and related engineered materials used in safety-related control and protection arrangements. For engineers and specifiers, 379-1972 helps define the boundary between acceptable operation and failure, supporting more consistent design review, testing, and compliance decisions in nuclear power applications.

What is 379-1972?

379-1972 is a standard that sets out failure criteria for protection systems serving nuclear power generating stations. Its technical context is centered on determining when a protection system, or part of it, should be regarded as failed in relation to its intended safety function. That makes it relevant to system design, functional verification, and reliability assessment. As a superseded document, it is mainly of interest for legacy reference, historical comparison, and understanding earlier protection-system requirements.

Where is 379-1972 used?

This standard is typically used in nuclear power station protection and control environments where safe reactor operation depends on dependable sensing, logic, and actuation. It is relevant to protection relays, trip circuits, instrumentation channels, and related devices that support automatic shutdown or safety response. Because 379-1972 addresses failure criteria, it is useful during engineering review, test planning, procurement checks, and documentation of safety-related equipment used in power and energy installations.

Why is 379-1972 important?

379-1972 matters because protection systems in nuclear facilities must behave predictably under fault and abnormal conditions. Clear failure criteria help reduce ambiguity in design decisions, acceptance testing, and maintenance review. They also support consistency across equipment selection and performance assessment, which is important for safety case preparation and risk control. For organizations working with legacy documentation, 379-1972 can provide a useful reference point for understanding how protection-system reliability was defined.

• Failure criteria for protection functions
• Nuclear power generating station applications
• Safety-related circuits and devices
• Legacy reference for design and testing