Lessons Learned from Early Criticality Accidents

Conference · Tue May 14 00:00:00 EDT 1996

OSTI ID:244644

Malenfant, Richard E. ^[1]

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1. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Four accidents involving the approach to criticality occurred during the period July, 1945, through May, 1996. These have been described in the format of the OPERATING EXPERIENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY which is distributed by the Office of Nuclear and Facility Safety. Although the lessons learned have been incorporated in standards, codes, and formal procedures during the last fifty years, this is their first presentation in this format. It is particularly appropriate that they be presented in the forum of the Nuclear Criticality Technology Safety Project Workshop closest to the fiftieth anniversary of the last of the four accidents, and that which was most instrumental in demonstrating the need to incorporate lessons learned.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 244644
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-96-1659; CONF-9605176-1; ON: DE96011268; TRN: 96:014604
• Resource Relation: Conference: Nuclear Criticality Technology Safety Project Workshop , Gaithersburg, MD (United States) , 14-15 May 1996; Other Information: PBD: [1996]
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
HISTORICAL ASPECTS
ZERO POWER REACTORS
REACTOR SAFETY
EXCURSIONS
RADIATION DOSES
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
DEATH
RADIATION PROTECTION
RECOMMENDATIONS
MITIGATION
REMOTE CONTROL
INTERLOCKS
REACTOR OPERATION
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
Approach to Criticality
Accident Takeaways