RE: 60th criticality accident

[Brian_Gaulke@hc-sc.gc.ca]

How is a criticality accident defined?  For example, this list doesn't include
the SL-1 accident or Chernobyl.  How are they excluded?

Brian Gaulke, CHP
brian_gaulke@hc-sc.gc.ca





"Karam, Andrew" <Andrew_Karam@URMC.Rochester.edu> on 99/10/01 11:31:34

Please respond to radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu

To:   Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
cc:    (bcc: Brian Gaulke)

Subject:  RE: 60th criticality accident




our local paper printed today a news from afp (agence france presse),
that yesterdays accident in Japan was the 60th criticality accident in
history of nuclear power. Can anyone verify or falsify this number or
lead me to an appropriate list?
--------------------------------

According to a criticality safety course handout I received at a DOE
training course in 1993 there have been 10 recorded criticality accidents,
all but one in the US (the other was at Windscale in 1958).  These are:

Los Alamos          8/8/45    1 death, one other exposed
Los Alamos          5/21/46   1 death, two others exposed
Oak Ridge Y-12 6/16/58   no deaths, eight exposures
Los Alamos          12/30/58  1 death, two others exposed
INEEL               10/16/59  no deaths, three exposures
INEEL               1/25/61   no significant exposures
Recuplex (Hanford) 4/7/62     no deaths, three exposures
Wood River          7/24/64   1 death, two others exposed
Windscale (UK) 8/24/70   no significant exposures
INEEL               10/17/78  2 deaths, others exposed


Andrew Karam, CHP              (716) 275-1473 (voice)
Radiation Safety Officer          (716) 275-3781 (office)
University of Rochester           (716) 256-0365 (fax)
601 Elmwood Ave. Box HPH   Rochester, NY  14642

Andrew_Karam@URMC.Rochester.edu
http://Intranet.urmc.rochester.edu/RadiationSafety
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